Intensive care unit patients on mechanical ventilation at a university hospital in southern Brazil: characteristics, mortality, frequency, and mortality risk factors

Acute respiratory failure (ARF) is a frequent cause of admission to ICUs and frequently necessitates mechanical ventilation (MV). Knowledge about the frequency and risk factors associated with requirements for MV is crucial to improve outcomes. The objectives of our study were to determine the characteristics, frequency of MV, overall and specific mortality rates and mortality risk factors in patients who required MV in the ICU of a general university hospital in southern Brazil.