Setting clearer time limits for ventilator (breathing machine) care
Quantifying Uncertainty to Inform Time-Limited Trials of Invasive Mechanical Ventilation
This project will develop ways to help doctors and families decide how long to try ventilator (breathing machine) support for people with sudden severe breathing failure.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Boston University Medical Campus NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11107912 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you or a loved one is put on a ventilator for sudden severe breathing failure, this work aims to reduce uncertainty about how long to continue that support. The team will analyze clinical data and build tools to estimate how likely someone is to get better over different time frames. They plan to define practical time-limited trial lengths and guide which patients might benefit from a trial. The goal is to make shared decision-making clearer so care matches patients' goals.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People newly started on invasive mechanical ventilation for acute respiratory failure and their families would be the most relevant candidates.
Not a fit: People not on ventilators, those already established on long-term ventilator dependence, or patients in settings without time for a planned trial may not benefit from this work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could help patients and families avoid unwanted prolonged ventilation and make clearer, goal-aligned decisions about life-sustaining care.
How similar studies have performed: Time-limited trials are recommended by expert groups but there is limited empirical evidence on optimal durations and decision tools, so this work is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
Boston, United States
- Boston University Medical Campus — Boston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Law, Anica C — Boston University Medical Campus
- Study coordinator: Law, Anica C
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.