Continuous capnography from intubation to extubation offers several benefits, including confirming tracheal intubation, monitoring the integrity of the endotracheal tube (ETT) and ventilatory circuit, assisting with the titration of mechanical ventilatory support, assessing pulmonary capillary blood flow, and monitoring for extubation readiness. The technology required to perform capnography on expired gas is not new, although recent advances have greatly improved the reliability and clinical applicability. From the start it must be noted that capnography has been considered a basic standard of care in anesthetic monitoring by the American Society for Anesthesiologist.

Pressure Control VentilationVentilator determines inspiratory time “ no patient participationParameters
Triggered by time
Limited by pressure
Affects inspiration onlyDisadvantages
Requires frequent adjustments to maintain adequate VE
Pt with noncompliant lungs may require alterations in inspiratory times to achieve adequate TV

Mechanical ventilation is associated with numerous life-threatening complications, and should be discontinued at the earliest possible time in the course of a patients illness. Weaning patients from a ventilator is one of the most challenging problems faced by physicians working in an intensive care unit (ICU), and accounts for a huge portion of the clinical workload in this setting. Management of the weaning process has fallen within the realm of clinical judgement, but studies now indicate that an empirical approach can prolong the duration of mechanical ventilation

Spontaneous breathing trials

The best way to determine suitability for discontinuation of mechanical ventilation is to perform a spontaneous breathing trial. There are three ways to do this: putting the patient  on a minimum pressure support and PEEP (for example 5-7cmH2O PS/5cmH2O PEEP performing mechanics and extubating), using a T-piece.

A T-piece trial involves the patient breathing through a T-piece plus a flow of oxygen-air and no ventilatory assistance) for a set period of time. The work of breathing is higher than through a normal airway (although this simulates laryngeal edema or airway narrowing). If tolerated, the chances of successful extubation are high. If not reattachment to a ventilator is simple. An alternative variant to this is the use of a CPAP circuit, which overcomes some of the work of breathing through the ett and prevents airway collapse.

Need for Tracheostomy Prolonged intubation may injure airway and cause airway edemaAdvantages
Issue of airway stability can be separated from issue of readiness for extubation
May quicken decision to extubate
Decreased work of breathing
Avoid continued vocal cord injury
Improved bronchopulmonary hygiene
Improved pt communicationDisadvantages
Long term risk of tracheal stenosis
Procedure-related complication rate (4 percent – 36 percent)

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Related June 2012


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