The authors would like to thank to all of the nurses, residents and attendings for their special care to the patients with nvA(H1N1) influenza virus infection.
Acute respiratory failure (ARF) is responsible for about 30% of intensive care unit (ICU) admissions and is a major complication in patients already treated in www.selleckchem.com/products/chir-99021-ct99021-hcl.html the ICU [1-3]. This serious condition was shown to be associated with high morbidity and mortality rates [1-4]. Acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF), community acquired pneumonia (CAP), acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD), pulmonary embolism (PE) and asthma are responsible for the vast majority of ICU hospitalization due to respiratory failure [5]. In-hospital mortality in ICU patients with respiratory failure is more than twice the mortality related to other ICU admissions [3].

Although mortality rates have been described in specific patient groups admitted for heart failure [6-8], severe AECOPD [9-11] or severe CAP [12-14], data concerning mortality rates and predictors of outcome in ICU patients with acute respiratory failure regardless of causal etiology are scarce. This is important for the reason that respiratory failure in one-third of ICU patients is multi-causal [15].Accordingly, the aim of the present study was to assess in-hospital and one-year mortality in a cohort of consecutive ICU patients with acute respiratory failure indifferent of underlying etiology. We specifically determined the independent predictors of in-hospital and one-year mortality and assessed the impact of beta-blocker at admission and/or at discharge on outcome.

Materials and methodsSetting and study populationThis report is a sub-study of the B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) for Acute Shortness of Breath Evaluation (BASEL) II-ICU trial [15]. The goal of the BASEL II-ICU trial was to evaluate impact of a BNP-guided management strategy on outcome (hospital length of stay and costs) in ICU patients with acute respiratory failure. The BASEL II-ICU trial was a prospective, randomized, controlled, single-blinded multicenter study. Patients were enrolled in seven ICUs (one medical and one surgical ICU of a primary care facility and five interdisciplinary ICUs of tertiary referral hospitals) in Switzerland from December 2004 to March 2007. The study was carried out according to the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki and approved by the ethical committee responsible for each hospital.

Written informed consent was obtained from patients or their surrogate. Details regarding study design has been published elsewhere [15]. In brief, patients presenting with acute respiratory failure severe enough to require ICU monitoring and treatment were randomized into one Brefeldin_A of two different diagnostic strategy groups. One of these groups included admission BNP value in addition to standard diagnostic workup (BNP group), while the other group did not have BNP values (control group).