Weaning from Ventilatory Support

Weaning from mechanical ventilation — the process of preparing for and eventually carrying out the removal of external ventilatory support — may be a simple task in patients with readily reversible forms of respiratory failure. In such cases, the transition from mechanical ventilation to unassisted breathing can be abrupt, and the patient can be extubated after a short but successful trial of unassisted breathing. All too often, however, the decision about when and how to remove external ventilatory support is not so straightforward. The physician must decide when it is appropriate to initiate weaning as well as which method to . . .