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Special Articles Evidence-Based Guidelines for Weaning and Discontinuing Ventilatory Support A Collective Task Force Facilitated by the American College of Chest Physicians, the American Association for Respiratory Care, and the American College of Critical Care Medicine Introduction Pathophysiology of Ventilator Dependence Criteria to Assess Ventilator Dependence Managing the Patient Who Has Failed a Spontaneous Breathing Test Role of Tracheotomy in Ventilator-Dependent Patients The Role of Long-Term Facilities [Respir Care 2002;47(1):69–90] Introduction quicklyaspossible.Althoughthisprocessoftenistermed “ventilatorweaning”(implyingagradualprocess),wepre- The discontinuation or withdrawal process from me- fer the more encompassing term “discontinuation.” chanical ventilation is an important clinical issue.1,2 Pa- tients are generally intubated and placed on mechanical SEE THE RELATED EDITORIAL ON PAGE 29 ventilatorswhentheirownventilatoryand/orgasexchange capabilitiesareoutstrippedbythedemandsplacedonthem Unnecessary delays in this discontinuation process in- from a variety of diseases. Mechanical ventilation also is crease the complication rate from mechanical ventilation required when the respiratory drive is incapable of initi- (eg, pneumonia, airway trauma) as well as the cost. Ag- ating ventilatory activity, either because of disease pro- gressivenessinremovingtheventilator,however,mustbe cesses or drugs. As the conditions that warranted placing balanced against the possibility that premature discontin- thepatientontheventilatorstabilizeandbegintoresolve, uation may occur. Premature discontinuation carries its attention should be placed on removing the ventilator as ownsetofproblems,includingdifficultyinreestablishing artificial airways and compromised gas exchange. It has been estimated that as much as 42% of the time that a TheWritingCommittee,onbehalfofthePanel,includesNeilRMac- medical patient spends on a mechanical ventilator is dur- IntyreMDFAARC(Chairman),DeborahJCookMD,EWesleyElyJr MDMPH,ScottKEpsteinMD,JamesBFinkMScRRTFAARC,John ing the discontinuation process.3 This percent is likely to EHeffnerMD,DeanRHessPhDRRTFAARC,RolfDHubmayrMD, be much higher in patients with more slowly resolving andDavidJScheinhornMD.OthermembersofthepanelincludeSu- lung disease processes. zanneBurnsRNMSNCCRNRRN,DavidChaoMD,AndresEsteban There are a number of important issues involved in the MD,DouglasRGraceyMD,JesseBHallMD,EdwardFHaponikMD, management of a mechanically ventilated patient whose MarinHKollefMD,JordiManceboMD,ConstantineAManthousMD, ArthurSSlutskyMD,MegAStearn-HassenpflugMSRD,andJamesK diseaseprocesshasbeguntostabilizeand/orreversesuch StollerMDMScFAARC. thatthediscontinuationofmechanicalventilationbecomes a consideration. First, an understanding of all the reasons Reprinted with permission from Chest (Chest 2001;120(6)375–395). that a given patient required a mechanical ventilator is ©AmericanCollegeofChestPhysicians.Copiescanbeorderedfromthe AmericanCollegeofChestPhysicians,at1-800-343-2227or1-847-498- needed. Only with this understanding can medical man- 1400.www.chestjournal.org. agement be optimized. Second, assessment techniques to identify patients who are capable of ventilator discontin- Correspondence:NeilRMacIntyreMDFAARC,RespiratoryCareSer- uation need to be utilized. Ideal assessment techniques vices,DukeUniversityMedicalCenter,Box3911,DurhamNC27710. E-mail:[email protected]. should be able to easily and safely distinguish which pa- RESPIRATORY CARE•JANUARY 2002 VOL 47 NO 1 69 EVIDENCE-BASED GUIDELINES FOR WEANING AND DISCONTINUING VENTILATORY SUPPORT Table1. GradesofEvidence wasreliedonto“fillinthegaps.”Consensuswasreached, first, by team discussions and, later, through the re- Grade Description peated cycling of the draft through all members of the A Scientificevidenceprovidedbywell-designed,well-conducted, task force. controlledtrials(randomizedandnonrandomized)with Both the McMaster AHCPR group and the task force statisticallysignificantresultsthatconsistentlysupportthe recognized the needs for the future. These include more guidelinerecommendation randomizedcontrolledtrialstolookatanumberofissues. B Scientificevidenceprovidedbyobservationalstudiesorby Amongthemoreimportantquestionsthatneedanswering controlledtrialswithlessconsistentresultstosupportthe guidelinerecommendation arethefollowing:(1)Whichcriteriaarethebestindicators C Expertopinionsupportedtheguidelinerecommendation,but ofreversalofrespiratoryfailureinthescreeningprocess? scientificevidenceeitherprovidedinconsistentresultsorwas (2)Whatfactorsareinvolvedinventilatordependenceand lacking which measurement techniques are most useful in deter- mining ultimate success in the discontinuation process? (3)Inbalancingdiscontinuationaggressivenessagainstthe tients need prompt discontinuation and which need con- risks of premature discontinuation, what is a reasonable tinued ventilatory support. Third, ventilator management reintubation rate in patients recently removed from venti- strategies for stable/recovering patients who still require latory support? (4) What is the value of trying to reduce some level of ventilatory support need to be employed. levelsofpartialventilatorsupportinstable/recoveringpa- Thesestrategiesneedtominimizebothcomplicationsand tients who have failed a discontinuation assessment? (5) resourceconsumption.Fourth,extendedmanagementplans What role do tracheotomies have in facilitating the dis- (includingtracheotomyandlong-termventilatorfacilities) continuationprocess?(6)Whatistheroleofthelong-term need to be considered for the long-term ventilator-depen- facility, and when should patients be transferred to such facilities? dent patient. Toaddressmanyoftheseissues,theAgencyforHealth- carePolicyandResearch(AHCPR)chargedtheMcMaster University Evidence Based Practice Center to do a com- Pathophysiology of Ventilator Dependence prehensive evidence-based review of many of the issues involved in ventilator weaning/discontinuation. Led by Introduction DeborahCookMD,anexhaustivereviewofseveralthou- sand articles in the world literature resulted in a compre- Patients require mechanical ventilatory support when hensive assessment of the state of the literature in 1999.4 the ventilatory and/or gas exchange capabilities of their At the same time, the American College of Chest Physi- respiratory system fail. This failure can be the result of cians (ACCP), the Society for Critical Care Medicine processes both within the lung as well as in other organ (SCCM), and the American Association for Respiratory systems, most notably the central nervous and the cardio- Care (AARC) formed a task force to produce evidence- vascularsystems.Althoughpatientsmaybedependenton based clinical practice guidelines for managing the venti- ventilatory support for brief periods of anesthesia or neu- lator-dependentpatientduringthediscontinuationprocess. romuscular blockade, the term “ventilator-dependent” is The charge of this task force was to utilize the McMaster usually reserved for patients with a need for mechanical AHCPR report as well as their own literature review to ventilation beyond 24 hours or by the fact that they have addressthefollowing5issues:(1)thepathophysiologyof failed to respond during discontinuation attempts. Under ventilator dependence; (2) the criteria for identifying pa- these circumstances, the clinical focus should be not only tients who are capable of ventilator discontinuation; (3) onventilatormanagementbutalsoshouldincludeasearch ventilatormanagementstrategiestomaximizediscontinu- for all of the possible reasons (especially potentially re- ation potential; (4) the role of tracheotomy; and (5) the versibleones)thatmayexplaintheventilatordependency. role of long-term facilities. Review/writing teams were formed for each of these issues. Recommendation 1. In patients requiring mechanical From these evidence-based reviews, a series of rec- ventilationfor(cid:1)24hours,asearchforallthecausesthat ommendations were developed by the task force, which may be contributing to ventilator dependence should be are the basis of this report. Each recommendation is undertaken.Thisisparticularlytrueinthepatientwhohas followed by a review of the supporting evidence, in- failed attempts at withdrawing the mechanical ventilator. cluding an assessment of the strength of the evidence Reversing all possible ventilatory and nonventilatory is- (Table 1). As there were many areas in which evidence sues should be an integral part of the ventilator discon- wasweakorabsent,theexpertopinionofthetaskforce tinuation process. 70 RESPIRATORY CARE•JANUARY 2002 VOL 47 NO 1 EVIDENCE-BASED GUIDELINES FOR WEANING AND DISCONTINUING VENTILATORY SUPPORT Table2. CausesofVentilatorDependency below). Finally, dynamic hyperinflation can put ventila- torymusclesinamechanicallydisadvantageousposition.33 Causes Description Inanumberofstudies,patientswhofailedtorespondtoa Neurologiccontroller Centraldrive;peripheralnerves withdrawal from mechanical ventilation tended to be Respiratorysystem Mechanicalloads:respiratorysystem weaker (ie, they had a lower performance capacity) than mechanics;imposedloading thosewhosucceeded,34–49but,ingeneral,thewithin-group Ventilatorymuscleproperties:inherent variability in respiratory muscle strength was too large to strength/endurance;metabolic state/nutrients/oxygendeliveryand justify general conclusions. extraction Ventilatorymusclefatiguealsocouldcontributetopoor Gasexchangeproperties:vascularproperties muscle performance. However, the role of fatigue in ven- andventilation/perfusionmatching tilator dependence is not well understood, and the studies Cardiovascularsystem Cardiactoleranceofventilatorymuscle performed to date21,26,50–54 have failed to delineate the work;peripheraloxygendemands Psychologicalissues sensitivity and specificity of specific fatigue tests in ven- tilator-dependent patients. Ventilatory support reduction- relatedchangesintransdiaphragmaticpressure,respiratory rate, and thoracoabdominal dyssynchrony are clearly not Evidence (Grade B) specific manifestations of respiratory muscle fatigue.55–60 There are a number of specific reasons why patients Themostpromisingdiagnostictestofdiaphragmcontrac- maybeventilator-dependent(Table2).Determiningwhich tility to date is the transdiaphragmatic pressure measure- factor or factors may be involved in a given patient re- ment during twitch stimulation of the phrenic nerves.21,61 quires both clinical awareness of these factors as well as However, too few patients have been studied with this focused clinical assessments. The search for the underly- technique to draw any meaningful conclusions about the ing causes for ventilator dependence may be especially prevalenceofdiaphragmfatiguethatisattributabletoven- importantifpreviouslyunrecognized,butreversible,con- tilator dependence. ditions are discovered. The load on the ventilatory muscles is a function of Neurologic Issues: The ventilatory pump controller in ventilationdemandsandrespiratorysystemmechanics(ie, the brainstem is a rhythm and pattern generator, which primarilycomplianceandresistance).Normalminuteven- receivesfeedbackfromcortical,chemoreceptiveandmech- tilation during spontaneous breathing is generally (cid:2) 10 anoreceptive sensors. The failure of this controller can L/min,normalrespiratorysystemcompliance(ie,tidalvol- comefromseveralfactors.5–12Thesefactorscanbeeither ume/staticinflationpressure)isgenerally(cid:1)50–100mL/cm structural(eg,brainstemstrokesorcentralapneas)ormet- H O, and normal airway resistance (ie, peak-static infla- 2 abolic(eg,electrolytedisturbancesorsedation/narcoticus- tionpressure/constantinspiratoryflow)isgenerally(cid:2)5–15 age13,14). The failure of the peripheral nerves also can be cm H O/L/s. Ventilation demands can increase as a con- 2 the result of either structural factors15 or metabolic/drug sequence of increased oxygen demands in patients with factors.16,17Auniqueneurologicdysfunctionthatalsocould sepsisorincreaseddeadspaceinpatientswithobstructive cause ventilator dependence is obstructive sleep apnea, in diseases. Compliance worsening can be a consequence of which an artificial airway may be necessary to maintain lung edema, infection, inflammation, or fibrosis, and of airway patency.10,11 chest wall abnormalities such as edema or surgical dress- ings.Resistanceworseningcanbeaconsequenceofbron- RespiratorySystemMuscle/LoadInteractions:Often,pa- choconstrictionandairwayinflammation.Additionalload tients who exhibit ventilator dependence do so because canalsobeimposedbynarrowendotrachealtubesandby there appears to be a mismatch between the performance insensitiveorpoorlyresponsiveventilatordemandvalves. capacityofventilatorypumpandtheloadplacedonit(ie, thecapacity/loadimbalancehypothesis).18–23Thereisam- The load imposed by ventilation demands interacting ple evidence that ventilatory pump performance may be with respiratory system mechanics can be expressed as impairedinventilator-dependentpatientsbecauseventila- respiratory work, pressure time integral, or the change in tory muscles are weak. This may be a consequence of metabolism(eg,theoxygencostattributabletobreathing). atrophyandremodelingfrominactivity.2,24Itmayalsobe Manystudies19,35,62–66showthatpatientswhoareventila- aconsequenceofinjuryfromoveruseandofinsultsasso- tor-dependenttendtohavelargerrespiratorymuscleloads ciated with critical illness neuropathy and myopathy.25–29 than do patients who can be withdrawn from mechanical A number of drugs (eg, neuromuscular blockers, amino- ventilation. In patients with airways obstruction, the load glycosides,andcorticosteroids)alsocancontributetomy- imposedbydynamichyperinflationhasreceivedparticular opathy,17,30–32ascanvariousmetabolicderangements(see attention as an important contributor to ventilator depen- RESPIRATORY CARE•JANUARY 2002 VOL 47 NO 1 71 EVIDENCE-BASED GUIDELINES FOR WEANING AND DISCONTINUING VENTILATORY SUPPORT dence.23,33,65,67–71 As is true for measures of ventilatory propermusclefunction.85,86Impairedoxygendeliverycan pumpcapacity,however,mostinvestigatorsreportconsid- be a consequence either of inadequate oxygen content or erable overlap in load parameters between patients with of inadequate cardiac output.87 Impaired oxygen uptake different discontinuation outcomes. occursmostcommonlyduringsystemicinflammatorysyn- Patients who go on to fail to respond to ventilator dromes such as sepsis.88 withdrawal attempts because of a capacity/load imbal- Gas Exchange Factors: Gas exchange abnormalities ance tend to display rapid, shallow breathing pat- can develop during ventilatory support reductions for terns.2,72,73 This pattern is advantageous from an ener- several reasons. Various lung diseases produce ventila- geticsperspective,butitisalsoassociatedwithincreased tion-perfusionimbalancesandshunts.Ventilatordepen- dead space and wasted ventilation and, hence with im- dence thus may be a consequence of a need for high paired carbon dioxide elimination. Chemoreceptive and levels of expiratory pressure and/or the fraction of in- mechanoreceptive feedback into the neural control of spired oxygen (F ) to maintain an adequate oxygen breathing is not well understood, and thus it is difficult IO 2 to distinguish whether this breathing pattern is a con- content.5,9Apatientwithhypoxemiaalsocandevelopa sequenceofareducedrespiratorydriveperbreathoran fall in mixed venous PO levels from the cardiovascular 2 inability of ventilatory muscles to respond to an appro- factors described below. priately increased neural stimulus.19,62,65,71,72 Cardiovascular Factors: Several groups of investiga- Metabolic Factors and Ventilatory Muscle Function: tors have drawn attention to cardiovascular responses in Nutrition, electrolytes, hormones, and oxygen transport ventilator-dependentpatientsandhaveemphasizedthepo- areallmetabolicfactorsthatcanaffectventilatorymuscle tential for ventilatory support reductions to induce isch- function. Inadequate nutrition leads to protein catabolism emia or heart failure in susceptible patients with limited and loss of muscle performance.74,75 The normal hypoxic cardiacreserve.9,89–93Putativemechanismsincludethefol- ventilatory response and the hypercapnic ventilatory re- lowing: (1) increased metabolic demand and hence circu- sponse also have been shown to deteriorate under condi- latorydemandsthatareassociatedwiththetransitionfrom tionsofsemistarvation.76Incontrast,overfeedingalsocan mechanicalventilationtospontaneousbreathinginpatients impairtheventilatorwithdrawalprocessbyleadingtoex- withlimitedcardiacreserve;(2)increasesinvenousreturn cesscarbondioxideproduction,whichcanfurtherincrease as the contracting diaphragm displaces blood from the the ventilation loads on ventilatory muscles. Studies77,78 abdomen to the thorax; and (3) the increased left ventric- havesuggestedthatpropernutritionalsupportcanincrease ularafterloadthatisimposedbynegativepleuralpressure thelikelihoodofsuccessofventilatorwithdrawal.Anum- swings.Lemaireandcolleaguesdemonstratedleftventric- ber of electrolyte imbalances also can impair ventilatory ular dysfunction (ie, the pulmonary capillary wedge pres- musclefunction.5,9,79–81Phosphatedeficiencyhasbeenas- sure increased from 8 to 25 mm Hg) during failed venti- sociated with respiratory muscle weakness and ventilator lator withdrawal attempts in 15 patients with COPD. withdrawalfailure.Astudydemonstratingimprovedtrans- Following diuresis, 9 of these 15 patients were success- diaphragmaticpressurevalueswiththerepletionofserum fully withdrawn from the ventilator.90 phosphorus levels in patients receiving mechanical venti- Psychological Factors: Psychological factors may be lation, however, did not specifically address the issue of among the most important nonrespiratory factors leading ventilator withdrawal.79 Magnesium deficiency also has to ventilator dependence. Fear of the loss of an apparent been reported to be associated with muscle weakness,82 lifesupportsystemaswellassocial/familial/economicis- althoughtherelationshiptoventilatordependencehasnot beenspecificallyaddressed.Finally,bicarbonateexcretion sues all may play a role. Stress can be minimized by frominappropriateoverventilation(oftenoccurringinpa- frequent communication among the staff, the patient, and tientswithchronicobstructivepulmonarydisease(COPD) the patient’s family.94 Environmental stimulation using with chronic baseline hypercapnia) can impair ventilator television, radio, or books also appears to improve psy- withdrawaleffortsasthepatienthasadiminishedcapacity chologicalfunctioning.2Ambulationusingaportableven- tocompensateforhypercapnia.Severehypothyroidismand tilator(orbagging)hasbeenshowntobenefitattitudesand myxedema directly impair diaphragmatic function and outlooksinlong-termventilator-dependentpatients.Sleep bluntventilatoryresponsestohypercapniaandhypoxia.83,84 deprivation may cause impairment of the respiratory con- Otherhormonalfactorsthatareimportantforoptimalmus- trolsystem,95althoughthismayberelatedtoaccompany- clefunctionincludeinsulin/glucagonandadrenalcortico- ing factors rather than to sleep deprivation per se.96 Fi- steroids. nally,biofeedbackmaybehelpfulindecreasingtheweaning As in other organs, adequate oxygen delivery and oxy- time in patients who are having difficulty withdrawing gen uptake by the ventilatory muscles is necessary for from ventilatory support.97–98 72 RESPIRATORY CARE•JANUARY 2002 VOL 47 NO 1 EVIDENCE-BASED GUIDELINES FOR WEANING AND DISCONTINUING VENTILATORY SUPPORT Criteria to Assess Ventilator Dependence ventilator discontinuation. These “entry” criteria often in- cludesomeformofclinicaljudgmentorintuition,making Introduction results from one study difficult to compare to another. In addition, clinician/investigators deciding to proceed with Theprocessofdiscontinuingmechanicalventilatorysup- ventilator discontinuation/extubation often have not been port begins with a recognition of adequate recovery from blinded to the parameters being analyzed as possible pre- acute respiratory failure. Thereafter, careful clinical as- dictors. Indeed, the parameter being analyzed may often sessmentsarerequiredtodeterminethepatient’sreadiness enter into the clinical decision on whether either to con- forsubsequentdiscontinuationofventilatorysupportand, tinueortodiscontinueventilatorysupport.Othermethod- ultimately, extubation. To facilitate this process, investi- ologicalproblemswiththeseobservationalstudiesinclude gators have focused on identifying objective criteria to different measurement techniques of a given parameter determine the answers to the following questions: When from study to study, large coefficients of variation with can efforts to discontinue ventilation be initiated? What repeated measurements or from study to study of a given assessment strategies will best identify the patient who is parameter,111,112 different patient populations (eg, long- ready for ventilator discontinuation? When should extu- term vs short-term ventilator dependence),113,114 and the bation be carried out, and how can extubation outcome absence of objective criteria to determine a patient’s tol- best be predicted? erance for a trial of either discontinuation or extubation. Evidencetoanswerthesequestionscomeslargelyfrom Third, assessed outcomes differ from study to study. observational studies in which a certain parameter (or set Someinvestigatorshaveexaminedsuccessfultoleranceof of parameters) is compared in a group of patients who aspontaneousbreathingtrial(SBT),othershaveusedper- either successfully or unsuccessfully have been removed manent discontinuation of the ventilator, and others have fromtheventilator.Thegeneralgoalofthesestudiesisto combinedsuccessfuldiscontinuationandextubation.This find “predictors” of outcome. Evaluating the results from latterapproachisnotoptimal,giventhedifferencesinthe these types of studies can be difficult for several reasons. pathophysiologyofdiscontinuationversusextubationfail- First,the“aggressiveness”oftheclinician/investigator’s ure (see below).102,106 In addition, different studies use weaning and discontinuation philosophy needs to be un- differentdurationsofventilatordiscontinuationorextuba- derstood, as it will affect the performance of a given pre- tiontodefinesuccessorfailure.Although24–48hoursof dictor. A very aggressive clinical philosophy will maxi- unassistedbreathingoftenisconsideredtodefinethesuc- mize the number of patients withdrawn from ventilatory cessfuldiscontinuationofventilatorsupport,manystudies support but could also result in a number of premature use shorter time periods to indicate success and often do discontinuations,withasubsequentneedforreintubations not report subsequent reintubation rates or the need to and/or reinstitution of support. In contrast, a less aggres- reinstitute mechanical ventilatory support. sive clinical philosophy will minimize premature discon- Fourth, a number of ways have been used to express tinuationsbutcouldalsounnecessarilyprolongventilatory predictorperformance,andmanycanbeconfusingormis- supportinotherpatients.Unfortunately,therearenogood leading. Traditional indexes of diagnostic test power in- data to help clinicians to determine the best balance be- clude sensitivity/specificity and positive/negative predic- tween premature and delayed discontinuations in evaluat- tive values. These indexes are limited, however, in that ing a given discontinuation strategy. Clearly, extubation theyrelyonasinglecutpointorthresholdandthattheydo failure should be avoided whenever possible because the not provide an easy way to go from pretest likelihood or needforreintubationcarriesan8-foldhigheroddsratiofor probability, through testing, to a posttest probability. The nosocomialpneumonia99anda6-foldto12-foldincreased McMaster AHCPR report4 recommends the use of likeli- mortality risk.100–103 In contrast, the maintenance of un- hood ratios (LRs), and these will be used in this report to necessary ventilator support carries its own burden of pa- describe predictor performance. The LR is an expression tient risk for infection and other complications.104,105 Re- of the odds that a given test result will be present in a portedreintubationratesrangefrom4%to23%fordifferent patientwithagivenconditioncomparedtoapatientwith- intensive care unit (ICU) populations,100,101,103,104,106–110 outthecondition.AnLR(cid:1)1indicatesthattheprobability and may be as high as 33% in patients with mental status of success increases, while values (cid:2) 1 indicate that the changesandneurologicalimpairment.103Althoughtheop- probability of failure increases. LRs between 0.5 and 2 timal rate of reintubation is not known, it would seem indicate that a weaning parameter is associated with only likely to rest between 5% and 15%. small,clinicallyunimportantchangesintheposttestprob- Second,anumberofmethodologicalproblemsexistwith ability of success or failure. In contrast LRs from 2 to 5 most of these observational studies. For instance, patients and from 0.3 to 0.5 correlate with small but potentially are recruited into these studies because investigators be- importantchangesinprobability,whileratiosof5to10or lieve that there is some reasonable chance of success for 0.1to0.3correlatewithmoreclinicallyimportantchanges RESPIRATORY CARE•JANUARY 2002 VOL 47 NO 1 73 EVIDENCE-BASED GUIDELINES FOR WEANING AND DISCONTINUING VENTILATORY SUPPORT Table3. CriteriaUsedinWeaning/DiscontinuationStudiesto Rationale and Evidence (Grade B) DetermineWhetherPatientsReceivingHighLevelsof VentilatorySupportCanBeConsideredfor While some investigators argue that the process of dis- Discontinuation(ie,EnteredIntotheTrials)* continuation starts as soon as the patient is intubated, it would seem reasonable that an appropriate level of venti- ObjectiveMeasurements Adequateoxygenation(eg,P (cid:2)60mm HgonF (cid:1)0.4;PEEP(cid:1)O25–10cm latory support should be maintained until the underlying H O;P IO/F2 (cid:2)150–300) cause of acute respiratory failure and any complicating 2 O2 IO2 Stablecardiovascularsystem(eg,HR(cid:1) issues have shown some sign of reversal. Indeed, patients 140beats/min;stablebloodpressure; withunresolvingrespiratoryfailurewhorequirehighlev- noorminimalvasopressors) els of ventilatory support are probably at high risk for Afebrile(eg,temperature(cid:2)38°C) respiratory muscle fatigue (and the consequent prolonga- Nosignificantrespiratoryacidosis tion of the need for mechanical ventilation) if aggressive Adequatehemoglobin(eg,Hgb(cid:2)8–10 g/dL) reductions in support are undertaken.50,52,116–118 Adequatementation(eg,arousable,GCS Thecriteriausedbyclinicianstodefinedisease“rever- (cid:2)13,nocontinuoussedativeinfusions sal,”however,havebeenneitherdefinednorprospectively Stablemetabolicstatus(eg,acceptable evaluatedinarandomizedcontrolledtrial.Rather,various electrolytes) combinations of subjective assessment and objective cri- SubjectiveClinical Resolutionofdiseaseacutephase; teria (eg, usually gas exchange improvement, mental sta- Assessments physicianbelievesdiscontinuation possible;adequatecough tusimprovement,neuromuscularfunctionassessments,and radiographicsigns)thatmayserveassurrogatemarkersof PO2(cid:3)partialpressureofoxygen recoveryhavebeenemployed(Table3).101–103,107–109,119,120 FIO2(cid:3)fractionofinspiredoxygen PEEP(cid:3)positiveend-expiratorypressure Itshouldbenoted,however,thatsomepatientswhohave HR(cid:3)heartrate not ever met one or more of these criteria still have been GCS(cid:3)GlasgowComaScale *AdaptedfromReferences101–103,107–109,119,and120 shown to be capable of eventual liberation from the ven- tilator.104 These “clinical assessments” of the status of the pa- inprobability.Ratiosof(cid:1)10or(cid:2)0.1correlatewithvery tient’srespiratoryfailure,however,arenotenoughtomake large changes in probability.115 decisions on the discontinuation of support. For example, Finally, because some investigators report data as con- one survey121 of intensivists using clinical judgment to tinuous values (eg, means) rather than providing defined assessthepotentialfordiscontinuationfoundasensitivity threshold values, combining studies using meta-analytic of only 35% (6 of 17 patients who were successfully dis- techniques often cannot be done. continuedwereidentified)andaspecificityof79%(11of 14whofaileddiscontinuationwereidentified).Moreover, Recommendation2. Patientsreceivingmechanicalven- in 2 large trials,107,109 despite the presence of apparent tilation for respiratory failure should undergo a formal disease stability/reversal prior to performing a screening assessment of discontinuation potential if the following SBT, the managing clinicians did not recognize that dis- criteria are satisfied: continuation was feasible in almost two thirds of the sub- 1.Evidenceforsomereversaloftheunderlyingcauseof jects. Thus, the conclusion is that some evidence of “clini- respiratory failure; 2. Adequate oxygenation (eg, P /F (cid:1) 150–200; cal” stability/reversal is a key first step in assessing for requiringpositiveend-expiratorypraeOss2ureIO[2PEEP](cid:1)5–8 discontinuation potential but that more focused assessments cm H O; F (cid:1) 0.4–0.5) and pH (eg, (cid:2) 7.25); are needed before deciding to continue or discontinue ven- 2 IO 2 tilatorysupport. 3. Hemodynamic stability as defined by the absence of active myocardial ischemia and the absence of clinically Recommendation3. Formaldiscontinuationassessments importanthypotension(ie,aconditionrequiringnovaso- pressor therapy or therapy with only low-dose vasopres- for patients receiving mechanical ventilation for respira- sors such as dopamine or dobutamine (cid:2) 5 (cid:3)g/kg/min); toryfailureshouldbedoneduringspontaneousbreathing and rather than while the patient is still receiving substantial 4. The capability to initiate an inspiratory effort. ventilatorysupport.Aninitialbriefperiodofspontaneous The decision to use these criteria must be individual- breathingcanbeusedtoassessthecapabilityofcontinu- ized. Some patients not satisfying all of the above the ing onto a formal SBT. The criteria with which to assess criteria (eg, patients with chronic hypoxemia below the patienttoleranceduringSBTsaretherespiratorypattern, thresholds cited) may be ready for attempts at discontin- adequacy of gas exchange, hemodynamic stability, and uation of mechanical ventilation. subjective comfort. The tolerance of SBTs lasting 30 to 74 RESPIRATORY CARE•JANUARY 2002 VOL 47 NO 1 EVIDENCE-BASED GUIDELINES FOR WEANING AND DISCONTINUING VENTILATORY SUPPORT Table4. MeasurementsPerformedEitherWhilePatientWasReceivingVentilatorySupportorDuringaBriefPeriodofSpontaneousBreathing ThatHaveBeenShowntoHaveStatisticallySignificantLRstoPredicttheOutcomeofaVentilatorDiscontinuationEffortinMoreThan OneStudy Parameter Studies(n) ThresholdValues PositiveLRsRange MeasuredonVentilator V˙ 20 10–15L/min 0.81–2.37 E NIF 10 (cid:4)20to(cid:4)30cmHO 0.23–2.45* 2 P 16 (cid:4)15to(cid:4)30cmH O 0.98–3.01 Imax 2 P /P 4 0.30 2.14–25.3 0.1 Imax CROPscore 2 13 1.05–19.74 MeasuredDuringaBriefPeriodofSpontaneousBreathing RR 24 30–38breaths/min 1.00–3.89 V 18 325–408mL(4–6mL/kg) 0.71–3.83 T f/V ratio 20 60–105/L 0.84–4.67 T LR(cid:3)likelihoodratio V˙E(cid:3)minuteventilation *1studyreportedalikelihoodratio(LR)of35.79. NIF(cid:3)negativeinspiratoryforce(maximuminspiratorypressure) PImax(cid:3)maximuminspiratorypressure P0.1(cid:3)mouthocclusionpressure0.1saftertheonsetofinspiratoryeffort CROP(cid:3)indexincludingcompliance,respiratoryrate,oxygenation,andpressure RR(cid:3)respiratoryrate VT(cid:3)tidalvolume f/VT(cid:3)respiratoryrate/tidalvolumeratio Table5. FrequencyofToleratinganSBTinSelectedPatientsandRateofPermanentVentilatorDiscontinuationFollowingaSuccessfulSBT Patients PatientsHaving Patients PatientsDiscontinuing Study ToleratingSBT VentilationReinstituted ReceivingSBT Ventilation n(%) n(%) Estebanetal105 546 416(76) 372 58(16) Elyetal108 113 88(78) 65 5(4) Dojatetal110 38 22(58) 22 5(23) Estebanetal101 246 192(78) 192 36(19) Estebanetal102 270* 237(89) 237 32(14) Estebanetal102 256† 216(84) 216 29(13) SBT(cid:3)spontaneousbreathingtrial *30minSBT †120minSBT 120 minutes should prompt consideration for permanent The McMaster AHCPR report4 found evidence in the ventilator discontinuation. literature supporting a possible role for 66 specific mea- surements as predictors. Some of these (eg, the negative Rationale and Evidence (Grade A) effects of the duration of mechanical ventilation, and the Because clinical impression is so inaccurate in deter- lengthof/difficultyofsurgery44,122–124)werederivedfrom miningwhetherornotapatientmeetingthecriterialisted general clinical observations, but most were from studies in Table 3 will successfully discontinue ventilatory sup- onfocusedassessmentsofthepatient’srespiratorysystem. port,amorefocusedassessmentofdiscontinuationpoten- Fromthese,theMcMasterAHCPRgroupidentified8pa- tial is necessary. These assessments can be performed ei- rameters that had consistently significant LRs to predict ther during spontaneous breathing or while the patient is successfuldiscontinuationinseveralstudies.Someofthese still receiving substantial ventilatory support. These as- measurementsaremadewhilethepatientisstillreceiving sessmentscanbeusednotonlytodrivedecisionsonwean- ventilatorysupport;othersrequireanassessmentduringa ing and discontinuation (ie, functioning as predictors) but brief period of spontaneous breathing. These parameters, also to offer insight into mechanisms of discontinuation their threshold values, and the range of reported LRs are failures. given in Table 4. It should be noted that despite the sta- RESPIRATORY CARE•JANUARY 2002 VOL 47 NO 1 75 EVIDENCE-BASED GUIDELINES FOR WEANING AND DISCONTINUING VENTILATORY SUPPORT Table6. CriteriaUsedinSeveralLargeTrials*toDefineTolerance value) cannot be formally assessed. Indeed, it is conceiv- ofanSBT able that iatrogenic factors such as endotracheal tube dis- comfort or continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) Objectivemeasurements Gasexchangeacceptability(S (cid:2) indicatingtolerance/success 85–90%;P (cid:2)50–60mmpHO2g; demand-valve insensitivity/unresponsiveness, rather than pH(cid:2)7.32;O2increaseinP (cid:1) true ventilator dependence, caused the failure of the SBT aCO2 10mmHg) inatleastsomeofthesepatients.125Thus,itisthusunclear Hemodynamicstability(HR(cid:2) how many patients who are unable to tolerate an SBT 120–140beats/min;HRnot wouldstillbeabletotoleratelong-termventilatordiscon- changed(cid:1)20%;systolicBP(cid:2) tinuation. Although the number is likely to be small, it is 180–200mmHgand(cid:1)90mm Hg;BPnotchanged(cid:1)20%,no probably not zero, and this needs to be considered when pressorsrequired) dealing with patients who repeatedly fail an SBT. Stableventilatorypattern(eg,RR(cid:1) The criteria used to define SBT “tolerance” are often 30–35breaths/min,RRnot integratedindexessince,asnotedabove,singleparameters changed(cid:1)50%) aloneperformsopoorly.Theseintegratedindexesusually Subjectiveclinicalassessments Changeinmentalstatus(eg, include several physiologic parameters as well as clinical indicatingintolerance/failure somnolence,coma,agitation, judgment, incorporating such difficult-to-quantify factors anxiety) as“anxiety,”“discomfort,”and“clinicalappearance.”The Onsetorworseningofdiscomfort Diaphoresis criteriathathavebeenusedinseverallargetrialsaregiven Signsofincreasedworkof in Table 6. breathing(useofaccessory A potential concern about the SBT is safety. Although respiratorymuscles, unnecessary prolongation of a failing SBT conceivably thoracoabdominalparadox) couldprecipitatemusclefatigue,hemodynamicinstability, SBT(cid:3)spontaneousbreathingtrial discomfort, or worsened gas exchange,19,50,117,126,127 there SpO2(cid:3)oxygensaturationmeasuredbypulseoximetry are no data showing that SBTs contribute to any adverse PPHOaRC2O(cid:3)(cid:3)2(cid:3)hpeaaartrrittaerlraipatelrepsasrutriealopfroesxsyugreenofcarbondioxide onuiztecdo.mIensdeifedt,erimnianactoedhoprtroomfp(cid:1)tly1,w00h0enpfaatiielunrtes iins rwehcoogm- RR(cid:3)respiratoryrate SBTswereroutinelyadministeredandproperlymonitored *References101,102,105,108–110,119,and120. as part of a protocol, only one adverse event was thought to be even possibly associated with the SBT.104 tisticalsignificanceoftheseparameters,thegenerallylow There is evidence that the detrimental effects of venti- LRsindicatethattheclinicalapplicabilityoftheseparam- latorymuscleoverload,ifitisgoingtooccur,oftenoccurs eters alone to individual patients is low. early in the SBT.73,108,110,128 Thus, the initial few minutes Although assessments that are performed while a pa- ofanSBTshouldbemonitoredclosely,beforeadecision tient is receiving substantial ventilatory support or during ismadetocontinue(thisisoftenreferredtoasthe“screen- a brief period of spontaneous breathing (Tables 3 and 4) ing”phaseofanSBT).Thereafter,thepatientshouldcon- canyieldimportantinformationaboutdiscontinuationpo- tinuethetrialforatleast30min,butfornot(cid:1)120min,102 tential, assessments that are performed during a formal, to assure maximal sensitivity and safety. It also appears carefullymonitoredSBTappeartoprovidethemostuseful that whether the SBT is performed with low levels of information to guide clinical decision-making regarding CPAP(eg,5cmH O),lowlevelsofpressuresupport(eg, 2 discontinuation.Indeed,becauseoftheefficacyandsafety 5–7 cm H O), or simply as “T-piece” breathing has little 2 ofaproperlymonitoredSBT(seebelow),theassessments effectonoutcome.101,129–131CPAP,however,conceivably inTable4thatareperformedtopredictSBToutcomeare couldenhancebreathtriggeringinpatientswithsignificant generally unnecessary. auto-PEEP.132,133 Inconcept,theSBTshouldbeexpectedtoperformwell, as it is the most direct way to assess a patient’s perfor- Recommendation4. Theremovaloftheartificialairway mance without ventilatory support. Indeed, the evidence from a patient who has successfully been discontinued forthisconceptisquitestrong.AscanbeseeninTable5, from ventilatory support should be based on assessments multiplestudieshavefoundthatpatientstolerantofSBTs of airway patency and the ability of the patient to protect that are 30 to 120 min in length were found to have suc- the airway. cessful discontinuations at least 77% of the time. Rationale and Evidence (Grade C) Becausethe12to42%ofpatientsintheTable5studies failing the SBT were not systematically removed from Extubation failure can occur for reasons distinct from ventilatory support, the ability of a failed SBT to predict thosethatcausediscontinuationfailure.Examplesinclude theneedforventilatordependence(ie,negativepredictive upperairwayobstructionorinabilitytoprotecttheairway 76 RESPIRATORY CARE•JANUARY 2002 VOL 47 NO 1 EVIDENCE-BASED GUIDELINES FOR WEANING AND DISCONTINUING VENTILATORY SUPPORT andclearsecretions.Theriskofpostextubationupperair- tilatorysupportbemanaged?Specifically,shouldanSBT wayobstructionincreaseswiththedurationofmechanical be tried again? If so, when? What form of ventilatory ventilation, female gender, trauma, and repeated or trau- support should be provided in between SBTs and should matic intubation.106 The detection of an air leak during support be at a constant high level or should efforts be mechanicalventilationwhentheendotrachealtubeballoon madetoroutinelyreducethelevelofsupportgradually(ie, is deflated can be used to assess the patency of the upper to wean support)? airway(cuffleaktest).134Inastudyofmedicalpatients,135 Evaluating evidence addressing mechanical ventilatory a cuff leak (cid:2) 110 mL (ie, average of 3 values on 6 con- support strategies is particularly problematic. This is be- secutive breaths) measured during assist control ventila- cause trials comparing 2 or more approaches to ventilator tion within 24 hours of extubation identified patients at management compare not only the modes of ventilation highriskforpostextubationstridor.Althoughothershave but also how those modes are used. Ideally, trial design notconfirmedtheutilityofthecuffleaktestforpredicting shouldbesuchthatmanagementphilosophiesandtheag- postextubation stridor,136 many patients who develop this gressivenessofsupportreductionaresimilarineachstrat- can be treated with steroids and/or epinephrine (and pos- egy being evaluated. Unfortunately, this is often not the sibly with noninvasive ventilation and/or heliox) and do case, as investigator experience with one approach has a not necessarily need to be reintubated. Steroids and/or tendency to result in more favorable “rules” of support epinephrine could also be used 24 hours prior to extuba- reduction for that approach compared to others. tion in patients with low cuff leak values. It is also im- portanttonotethatalowvalueforcuffleakmayactually Recommendation5. Patientsreceivingmechanicalven- beduetoencrustedsecretionsaroundthetuberatherthan tilation for respiratory failure who fail an SBT should to a narrowed upper airway. Despite this, reintubation have the cause for the failed SBT determined. Once re- equipment (including tracheostomy equipment) should be versiblecausesforfailurearecorrected,andifthepatient readilyavailablewhenextubatingpatientswithalowcuff still meets the criteria listed in Table 3, subsequent SBTs leak values. should be performed every 24 hours. The capacity to protect the airway and to expel secre- Rationale and Evidence (Grade A) tions with an effective cough would seem to be vital for extubation success, although specific data supporting this AlthoughfailedSBTsareoftenareflectionofpersistent conceptarefew.Successfulextubationshavebeenreport- respiratory system abnormalities,52 a failed SBT should ed137 in a select group of brain-injured comatose patients prompt a search for other causes or complicating factors whowerejudgedtobecapableofprotectingtheirairways. (see the “Patholophysiology of Ventilator Dependence” However, it is difficult to extrapolate this experience to section).Specificissuesincludetheadequacyofpaincon- more typical ICU patients, and many would argue that trol,theappropriatenessofsedation,fluidstatus,broncho- some capability of the patient to interact with the care dilator needs, the control of myocardial ischemia, and the team should be present before the removal of an artificial presenceofotherdiseaseprocessesthateithercanbereadily airway. Airway assessments generally include noting the addressedorelsecanbeconsideredwhendecidingtopro- quality of cough with airway suctioning, the absence of ceed further with discontinuation attempts. “excessive”secretions,orthefrequencyofairwaysuction- Assuming medical management is optimized and that ing(eg,every2hormore).34,108,138Coplinetal137devised the patient who has failed an SBT still meets the criteria an“airwaycarescore,”whichsemiquantitativelyassesses listedinTable3,thefollowing2questionsinvolvingsub- cough, gag, suctioning frequency, and sputum quantity, sequentSBTsarise:First,shouldSBTsbeattemptedagain viscosity,andcharacterthatpredictedextubationoutcome. or should another approach to ventilator withdrawal be Peakcoughflowsof(cid:1)160L/minpredictsuccessfultrans- attempted? Second, if an SBT is attempted again, when laryngeal extubation or tracheostomy tube decannulation should that be? in neuromuscular- or spinal cord-injured patients.139 Therearesomedataonwhichtobaseananswertothe firstquestion.Theonelargerandomizedtrial107thatcom- Managing the Patient Who Has Failed pared routine SBTs to 2 other weaning strategies that did a Spontaneous Breathing Test notincludeSBTsprovidescompellingevidencethatSBTs administered at least once daily shorten the discontinua- Introduction tionperiodcomparedtostrategiesthatdonotincludedaily SBTs. In addition, 2 studies108,119 showing the success of The failure of a patient to complete an SBT raises 2 protocol-driven ventilator discontinuation strategies over important questions. First, what caused the SBT failure, “usual care” both included daily SBTs. The subsequent and are there readily reversible factors that can be cor- use of routine subsequent SBTs in this patient population rected? Second, how should subsequent mechanical ven- thus seems appropriate. RESPIRATORY CARE•JANUARY 2002 VOL 47 NO 1 77 EVIDENCE-BASED GUIDELINES FOR WEANING AND DISCONTINUING VENTILATORY SUPPORT Thereareseverallinesofevidencethatsupportwaiting Table7. ModesofPartialVentilatorSupport 24hoursbeforeattemptinganSBTagaininthesepatients. First, except in patients recovering from anesthesia, mus- Mode PatientWorkAdjustedBy clerelaxants,andsedatives,respiratorysystemabnormal- SIMV Numberofmachinebreathssupplied(ie,thefewer ities rarely recover over a short period of hours and thus thenumberofmachinebreaths,themore frequent SBTs over a day may not be expected to be spontaneousbreathsarerequired) PSV Levelofinspiratorypressureassistancewith helpful.SupportingthisaredatafromJubranandTobin52 spontaneousefforts showing that failed SBTs often are due to persistent re- SIMV(cid:5)PSV CombiningtheadjustmentsofSIMVandPSV spiratorysystemmechanicalabnormalitiesthatareunlikely VS PSVwitha“guaranteed”minimumV (PSVlevel T toreverserapidly.Second,therearedatasuggestingthata adjustsautomaticallyaccordingtoclinicianV T failedSBTmayresultinsomedegreeofrespiratorymus- setting) clefatigue.50,117,118Ifso,studies126,140conductedinhealthy VAPS(PA) PSVwith“guaranteed”minimumVT(additional subjects suggest that recovery may not be complete for flowissuppliedatendinspirationifnecessary anywhere from several hours to (cid:1) 24 hours. Third, the toprovideclinicianVTsetting) MMV SIMVwitha“guaranteed”V˙ (machinebreath trial by Esteban et al107 specifically addressed this issue E rateautomaticallyadjustsaccordingtoclinician and provided strong evidence that twice-daily SBTs offer V˙ setting) E no advantage over a single SBT and, thus, would serve APRV Pressuredifferencebetweeninflationandrelease only to consume unnecessary clinical resources. (ie,thelessthepressuredifference,themore spontaneousbreathsarerequired) Recommendation6. Patientsreceivingmechanicalven- SIMV(cid:3)synchronizedintermittentmandatoryventilation tilation for respiratory failure who fail an SBT should PSV(cid:3)pressuresupportventilation receive a stable, nonfatiguing, comfortable form of venti- VS(cid:3)volumesupport VAPS(PA)(cid:3)volume-assuredpressuresupport(pressureaugmentation) latory support. VT(cid:3)tidalvolume MMV(cid:3)mandatoryminuteventilation Rationale and Evidence (Grade B) V˙E(cid:3)minuteventilation APRV(cid:3)airwaypressure-releaseventilation Thereareanumberofventilatormodesthatcanprovide substantial ventilatory support as well as the means to reduce partial ventilatory support in patients who have strategiesusingdifferentmodesbutnotroutinedailySBTs. failed an SBT (Table 7). A key question, however, is The study by Brochard et al109 was the most similar in whether attempts at gradually lowering the level of sup- design to the study by Esteban et al107 that was noted port (weaning) offer advantages over a more stable, un- before, and it included a pressure-support group and an changing level of support between SBTs. The arguments IMV group. A third group received gradually increasing forusinggradualreductionsare(1)thatmusclecondition- fixedperiodsofspontaneousbreathingthatweredesigned ing might occur if ventilatory loads are placed on the only to provide brief periods of work and not specifically patient’s muscles and (2) that the transition to extubation to test for discontinuation (ie, they were not routine daily or to an SBT might be easier from a low level of support SBTs,asdefinedabove).Theresultsshowedthattheiruse thanfromahighlevelofsupport.Datasupportingeitherof of gradually lengthening spontaneous breathing periods these claims, however, are few. However, maintaining a was inferior to other strategies and, like the Esteban trial, stable level of support between SBTs reduces the risk of thepressuresupportstrategywaseasiertoreducethanthe precipitating ventilatory muscle overload from overly ag- IMV strategy. The other 2 randomized trials141,142 that gressive support reduction. It also offers a substantial re- wereidentifiedbytheMcMasterAHCPRreportweremuch source consumption advantage in that it requires far less smallerthantheEstebanetal107andBrochardetal,109and practitioner time. The study by Esteban et al107 partially both suggested that pressure support was easier to re- addressedthisissueinthatitcompareddailySBTs(anda duce than IMV alone. Because none of these studies stable level of support in those who failed) to 2 other offer evidence that gradual support strategies are supe- approachesusinggradualreductionsinsupport(ie,wean- rior to stable support strategies between SBTs, the clin- ing with pressure support or intermittent mandatory ven- ical focus for the 24 hours after a failed SBT should be tilation [IMV]) and demonstrated that the daily SBT with on maintaining adequate muscle unloading, optimizing stable support between tests permitted the most rapid dis- comfort (and thus sedation needs), and avoiding compli- continuation. What has not been addressed, however, is cations, rather than aggressive ventilatory support reduc- whether gradual support reductions coupled with daily tion. SBTs offer any advantages. Ventilator modes and settings can affect these goals.143 The McMaster AHCPR report4 identified 3 other ran- Assisted modes of ventilation (as opposed to machine- domized trials109,141,142 that compared gradual reduction controlled modes) are generally preferable in this setting 78 RESPIRATORY CARE•JANUARY 2002 VOL 47 NO 1

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(SCCM), and the American Association for Respiratory. Care (AARC) formed a task force to produce evidence- based clinical practice guidelines for managing
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