RESUMEN
Between Jan. 1983 and Dec. 1986, 288 patients with acute respiratory failure of varied aetiologies were admitted to tetanus and respiratory care ward. One hundred and twenty patients (41.66%) had primary respiratory diseases, 107 (37.15%) of poisoning, 24 (8.3%) had neuromuscular diseases and 37 (12.48%) had miscellaneous disorders. Ventilatory support was given for more than 6 hours to 118 patients. The overall survival was 61.81% and on ventilator 38.13%. The mortality was high with ARDS (100%), miscellaneous (100%) pneumonia with septicaemia (75%) and COAD (54.28%). Patient with COAD had high mortality with acidosis (pH less than 7.1, P less than 0.01), hypotension (systolic BP less than 90 mm of Hg, p less than 0.05) and oliguria (urine out put less than 400 ml/24 hours, p less than 0.05). Organophosphorus compound was the commonest poison (89.75%) and patients who had moderate to severe hypoxia (pO2 less than 60 mm of Hg), hypotension and an interval of more than 4 hours between the consumption of poison and admission (all P less than 0.05) expired; 68.18% expired within the first 72 hours. All the patients with primary neuromuscular paralysis and bronchial asthma survived. Hospital acquired infections (160 patients), retained secretions (108 patients) and hypotension (64 patients) were the commonest complications seen in the 288 patients. Staphylococcus aureus (32.14%) was the commonest organism isolated. Financial constraints, drug shortages and frequent failure of machines were other major problems in the intensive respiratory care unit.