Respiratory failure in cancer patients
R. M. Snow, W. C. Miller, D. L. Rice and M. K. Ali
A review of 180 cancer patients requiring mechanical ventilation disclosed
that 26% survived to extubation, and 13% and 7% were alive at two and six
months, respectively. Mortality was related to several factors individually
and the cumulative number of organ systems dysfunctioning in a given
patient. Compared with general intensive care patients, those with
respiratory failure and neoplastic disease demonstrated a high incidence of
drug-induced pulmonary disease, hematologic abnormalities, pneumothorax,
and infections with multiple and unusual organisms--all of which alter the
approach to management. Although the long-term survival was poor, immediate
survival was comparable with that of many groups of patients with
respiratory failure.
