The effect of race on long term mortality in mechanically ventilated patients

Objective: Determine the impact of race on one-year mortality following mechanical ventilation. Background: There is a lack of prospective studies on the effect of race on survival following mechanical ventilation. Methods: Observational study of adult patients on ventilatory support for <24h prior to enrollment. Socioeconomic factors, laboratory and clinical data were recorded. Primary outcome was one-year mortality. Results: We enrolled 178 patients; 100 African American (AA), 78 other races (OTH). One-year mortality for AA was 49% and 33% for OTH (p=0.035). After correcting for covariates, race was not significantly associated with mortality (p=0.42). AA patients had higher mean arterial blood pressure, serum creatinine, heart rate, and peak (p<0.01) and mean (p=0.05) airway pressures. Conclusions: AA patients who underwent mechanical ventilation had greater one-year mortality, although race per se was not a significant factor. It remains to be determined if strict blood pressure control and lower airway pressures may improve survival in this racial group.