Cost comparison of mechanically ventilated patients across the age span

Objective: To compare the use of mechanical ventilation and hospital costs across ventilated patients of all ages, preterm through adults, in a nationally representative sample. Study Design: Secondary analysis of the 2009 Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality National Inpatient Sample. Results: A total of 1 107 563 (2.8%) patients received mechanical ventilation. For surviving ventilated patients, median costs for infants ⩽32 weeks’ gestation were $51000 to $209 000, whereas median costs for older patients were lower from $17 000 to $25 000. For non-surviving ventilated patients, median costs were $27 000 to $39 000 except at the extremes of age; the median cost was $10 000 for