When to wean from a ventilator: an evidence-based strategy.

Having a greater proportion of registered nurses in a respiratory care centre is associated with fewer urinary infections and increased successful ventilator weaning.

Comparing the effects of rise time and inspiratory cycling criteria on 6 different mechanical ventilators.

BACKGROUND Inspiratory rise time and cycling criteria are important settings in pressure support ventilation. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of minimum and maximum rise time and inspiratory cycling criteria settings on 6 new generation ventilators. Our hypothesis was there would be a difference in the exhaled tidal volume, inspiratory time, and peak flow among 6 differe...

Ventilator-associated pneumonia: the role of ventilator management strategies.

Ventilator management strategies can affect the risk for ventilator-associated pneumonia in 3 ways: the development of ventilator-induced lung injury; the need for potentially harmful tradeoffs in providing lung-protective ventilatory strategies; and the prolongation of the duration of mechanical ventilation from iatrogenic factors. Strategies to reduce ventilator-induced lung injury include a ...

Wean Earlier and Automatically with New technology (the WEAN study): a protocol of a multicentre, pilot randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND Weaning is the process during which mechanical ventilation is withdrawn and the work of breathing is transferred from the ventilator back to the patient. Prolonged weaning is associated with development of ventilator-related complications and longer stays in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Computerized or Automated Weaning is a novel weaning strategy that continuously measures and ada...

Evidence-based ventilator weaning and discontinuation.

Ventilator management of a patient who is recovering from acute respiratory failure must balance competing objectives. Discontinuing mechanical ventilation and removing the artificial airway as soon as possible reduces the risk of ventilator-induced lung injury, nosocomial pneumonia, airway trauma from the endotracheal tube, and unnecessary sedation, but premature ventilator-discontinuation or ...