Do patients with VAE stay in ICU for longer time?

Question

I was reading online that people when put in ICU under mechanical ventilation, can develop Ventilated Associated Events.

What I would like to know is: does the stay in ICU increase for people who are afflicted with VAE?

Ex: let's say I have patient A and B who were in icu for more than 4 days and were mechanically ventilated for minimum of 96 hours. I get this info from my patient database. It's a retrospective data analysis.

Patient A didn't develop VAE. His total stay in ICU was only around 5-6 days and his mechanical vent duration was around 110-120 hours.

Patient B actually did develop VAE. But as I dig further, I find out that the total stay of this patient B, he was in ICU for more than 10 days and mechanical ventilation was also more than 170 hours.

My observations are not just based on one or two patients like above but I do see some difference in the outcome between VAE and non-vae.

So my question is, is it normal or usual to see that VAE cases stay in ICU/mechanically ventilated for longer time (after being diagnosed for VAE) when compared to non-vae cases?

Before onset of VAE, they may have similar ICU stays/MV duration but once a patient is diagnosed for VAE, VAE cases will go onto stay for more days in ICU than non-vae people?

Am I right?

Can you help me with this please?

Answer 1

Ventilator-associated events" (VAE) are complications (infections and others) that usually need additional treatment, so they are usually associated with prolonged ICU "length of stay" (LOS). But someone with more severe initial condition without VAE may stay in ICU for longer than someone with a milder condition + VAE.

Poor outcomes after mechanical ventilation include: extended time on mechanical ventilation, longer stays in the intensive care unit and hospital, increased health care costs and increased risk of disability and death (Health Research Educational Trust).

In addition, ventilator-associated events (VAEs) — which include acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), acute lung injury, pneumothorax, pulmonary embolism, atelectasis, and pulmonary edema, in addition to VAP [ventialtor-associated peneumonia] — are associated with increases in duration of mechanical ventilation, ICU and hospital length of stay (LOS)...(AHRQ.gov).

So, yes, VAE are usually associated with increased length of stay in the ICU.