Monitoring Big Data During Mechanical Ventilation in the ICU

The electronic health record allows the assimilation of large amounts of clinical and laboratory data. Big data describes the analysis of large data sets using computational modeling to reveal patterns, trends, and associations. How can big data be used to predict ventilator discontinuation or impending compromise, and how can it be incorporated into the clinical workflow? This article will serve 2 purposes. First, a general overview is provided for the layperson and introduces key concepts, definitions, best practices, and things to watch out for when reading a paper that incorporates machine learning. Second, recent publications at the intersection of big data, machine learning, and mechanical ventilation are presented.