TY - CHAP M1 - Book, Section TI - Chapter 44. Liberation from Mechanical Ventilation A1 - Manthous, Constantine A. A1 - Schmidt, Gregory A. A1 - Hall, Jesse B. A2 - Hall, Jesse B. A2 - Schmidt, Gregory A. A2 - Wood, Lawrence D.H. PY - 2005 T2 - Principles of Critical Care, 3e AB - Patients are candidates for liberation from mechanical ventilation when gas exchange or circulatory disturbances that precipitated respiratory failure have been reversed.More than half of all critically ill patients can be liberated successfully from mechanical ventilation after a brief trial of spontaneous breathing on the first day that reversal of precipitating factors is recognized. Gradual reduction of mechanical support, termed weaning, frequently is unnecessary and can prolong the duration of mechanical ventilation.Once a patient has been liberated from the ventilator, extubation should follow if mechanisms of airway maintenance (e.g., cough, gag, and swallow) are sufficient to protect the airway from secretions. Whether to extubate is a decision that follows successful liberation from the ventilator.In patients who fail their first trial of spontaneous breathing, attention should turn to defining and treating the pathophysiologic processes underlying failure.Weaning regimens that use ventilator modes with the goal of improving respiratory muscle endurance have not been proved to expedite liberation, but data from animal models suggest that “exercise" may be beneficial. Approaches attempting to exercise the respiratory muscles should not substitute for daily interrogation of readiness for spontaneous breathing.One weaning regimen, the gradual reduction of intermittent mandatory breaths, prolongs patients' time on mechanical ventilation.Liberation from mechanical ventilation is achieved most expeditiously if patients with a stable circulation (not on pressors or with evolving myocardial infarction) and adequate oxygenation are given a trial of spontaneous breathing (T piece or pressure support ≤7 cm H2O) each day. Patients remain on ventilators unnecessarily when clinicians do not put this simple plan in place.Patients who have had most correctable factors addressed and remain marginal with regard to ventilatory capacity in most circumstances should undergo a trial extubation rather than remain intubated for protracted periods. Noninvasive positive-pressure ventilation is extremely useful in these patients to transition them to fully spontaneous breathing following extubation. SN - PB - The McGraw-Hill Companies CY - New York, NY Y2 - 2022/05/28 UR - accessanesthesiology.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=2289442 ER -