Background Identifying risk factors for unplanned extubation in patients receiving mechanical ventilation can help guide prevention strategies. Objective To assess the risk of unplanned extubation with different sedation strategies. Methods A 36-month quality improvement study in a 33-bed intensive care unit at a tertiary-care center. Results A total of 92 unplanned extubations occurred (7.5 ev...

BACKGROUND Continuous aspiration of subglottic secretions is effective in preventing ventilator-associated pneumonia, but it involves a risk of mucosal damage. The main objective of our study was to determine the incidence of airway complications related to continuous aspiration of subglottic secretions. METHODS In consecutive adult patients with continuous aspiration of subglottic secretions...

BACKGROUND While early extubation after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) has been associated with resource savings, its effect on patient outcomes remains unclear. The goal of the present investigation was to evaluate whether early extubation can be performed safely in elderly CABG patients in community practice. METHODS We studied 6,446 CABG patients, aged 65 years and older, treated a...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Self-extubation is a potentially life-threatening event, but may also provide an opportunity to wean patients who should have been extubated earlier. The purpose of this study was to determine the risk factors for re-intubation after self-extubation. METHODS The medical charts of 69 self-extubated patients treated in Shin Kong Hospital, Taipei, from September 1996 throu...

Background The weaning process is complex and needs to be done carefully. The success of extubation in premature babies is associated with brain maturity and adequate function of the lungs. We aimed to identify the ventilator parameters and clinical conditions related to extubation success and failure in premature infants. Materials and Methods This is anobservational study, analytical and non-...

HFNC therapy is increasingly used as ‘non-invasive’ respiratory support for preterm infants. A 2016 Cochrane Review found that had similar efficacy to NCPAP infants following extubation,1 but further studies were needed, particularly in extremely born <28 weeks' gestation, who are at highest risk of extubation failure. The trial by Uchiyama et al the largest randomised post-extubation infants, ...

objective neuromuscular disorders (diseases of the motor unit), can cause respiratory problems such as impaired cough reflex, chest deformity, recurrent pneumonia and acute respiratory failure; these are the worst most common complications of these diseases and the leading cause of death in such patients (1, 2). their management hence, very often, entails admission to the pediatric intensive ca...

BACKGROUND No studies have examined the clinical utility of arterial blood gas (ABG) values during spontaneous breathing trials (SBTs) for making extubation decisions. Nonetheless many intensive care units measure ABGs during an SBT to determine, in conjunction with other data, whether the SBT was successful. OBJECTIVE Determine how often ABG values change extubation decisions. METHODS Each...