Editorial O

nly a small minority of patients admitted to intensive care units (ICUs) go on to require prolonged mechanical ventilation (PMV) and hence become the popula-tion we refer to as “chronically critically ill. ” Among our patient populations, these individuals require the longest ICU and hospital stays and the greatest share of our time and resources. In terms of US healthcare, they account for a dis-proportionate amount of bed and resource utiliza-tion on a per-patient basis. But despite the millions of ICU dollars spent, daily management options for these patients have not been rigorously studied to determine how to optimize care or reduce costs