Protocol-driven ventilator management in a trauma intensive care unit population.

Abstract
AS TECHNOLOGY continues to improve and more critically ill patients survive, mechanical ventilation has become an integral part of intensive care unit (ICU) management. This modality entails expense and complications. Problems identified with mechanical ventilation include laryngeal damage from the endotracheal tube,1 self-extubation,2 and ventilator-associated pneumonia.3 An effort has been made to improve ventilator management to facilitate timely extubations.