Abstract Introduction Mechanical ventilation is a frequently used technique as a supportive measure for critically ill patients, preventing progression to death. Multiple medical and surgical pathologies are associated with the indication for orotracheal intubation and mechanical ventilation. These patients may develop diaphragm dysfunction due to a variety of factors, including atrophy due to disuse. This phenomenon, called ventilator-induced diaphragm dysfunction, can present early (within 24 h) and can be associated with prolonged mechanical ventilation, difficulty weaning, and prolonged ICU stay. Our objective: To describe the role of US in predicting difficult weaning during invasive mechanical ventilation in the intensive care unit. Methodology We conducted a systematic review in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement and the methodological recommendations of the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions version 2.0. Results Our initial search of PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus databases yielded 1,094 studies, with an additional 236 studies identified through additional sources such as Google Scholar, for a total of 1,330 studies. A total of 309 duplicates were removed, and 733 studies did not meet the inclusion criteria. A total of 256 studies were evaluated, of which 224 were excluded. The review was based on 32 studies that met the selection and evaluation process. Conclusions Measurement of diaphragmatic excursion and diaphragmatic thickening fraction predict the likelihood of successful weaning from mechanical ventilation with satisfactory diagnostic accuracy.
Perez et al. (Mon,) studied this question.