Medical Learning Tool for Ventilator Weaning Protocols.

Ventilator Weaning Protocols: Influencing Outcomes and Promoting Success

Weaning patients from the ventilator.

Copyright © 2012 Massachusetts Medical Society. In the United States, almost 800,000 patients who are hospitalized each year require mechanical ventilation.1 This estimate excludes neonates, and there is little doubt that mechanical ventilation will be increasingly used as the number of patients 65 years of age or older continues to increase.2,3 The majority of patients who receive mechanical v...

Modes to facilitate ventilator weaning.

Weaning comprises 40 percent of the duration of mechanical ventilation. Protocols to reduce weaning time and to identify candidates at the earliest possible moment have been introduced to reduce complications and costs. Increased demand for mechanical ventilation, an increase in the number of patients requiring prolonged ventilation, and resource/staffing issues have created an environment whe...

Ventilator discontinuation protocols.

Mechanical ventilation is a life-saving supportive therapy, but it can also cause lung injury, diaphragmatic dysfunction, and lung infection. Ventilator liberation should be attempted as soon as clinically indicated, to minimize morbidity and mortality. The most effective method of liberation follows a systematic approach that includes a daily assessment of weaning readiness, in conjunction wi...

Association between adrenal insufficiency and ventilator weaning.

RATIONALE Adrenal insufficiency is a common disorder in critically ill patients with mechanical ventilation and is usually associated with higher mortality and poor clinical outcome. OBJECTIVES To determine whether stress dose corticosteroid supplementation can improve ventilator weaning and clinical outcome in patients with adrenal insufficiency. METHODS A prospective, randomized, placebo ...