Anna Deliana, Agung Wijayanto, Prasenohadi, Menaldi Rasmin
Abstract
Background: One of the central services at the hospital is Intensive Care Unit (ICU). ICU is currently dealing not only with postsurgical patients, but also includes various kinds of adult patients, children with more than one dysfunction/organ failure. The selection of patients based on an clinical assessment and prognosis estimation. An ICU should be able to combine high technology and specialized expertise in the field of emergency medicine and nursing to care for critically ill patients. Prioritizing or selecting the appropriate patients is important since limited number of bed in ICU. General indication for the use of mechanical ventilation are acute respiratory failure, coma, acute on chronic respiratory failure and neuromuscular disorders. Mechanical ventilation is indicated as definitive therapy for severe hypoxemia, alveolar hypoventilation and hypercapnia. Frequent indication for mechanical ventilation on lung disease are acute pulmonary edema, pneumonia, ARDS, severe asthma attacks and severe acute exacerbations of COPD. End-of-life decisions must be discussed with the family. Family meeting with ICU staff should be done periodically. (J Respir Indo. 2013; 33:264-70)
Keywords: Intensive care unit (ICU), respiratory failure, mechanical ventilatory.