BACKGROUND: The ratio (E/Ea) of mitral Doppler inflow velocity to annular tissue Doppler wave velocity by transthoracic echocardiography and diaphragmatic excursion (DE) by diaphragm ultrasound have been confirmed to predict extubation outcomes. However, few studies focused on the predicting value of E/Ea and DE at different positions during a spontaneous breathing trial (SBT), as well as the effects of △E/Ea and △DE (changes in E/Ea and DE during a SBT).
METHODS: This study was a reanalysis of the data of 60 difficult-to-wean patients in a previous study published in 2017. All eligible participants were organized into respiratory failure (RF) group and extubation success (ES) group within 48 h after extubation, or re-intubation (RI) group and non-intubation (NI) group within 1 week after extubation. The risk factors for respiratory failure and re-intubation including E/Ea and △E/Ea, DE and △DE at different positions were analyzed by multivariate logistic regression, respectively. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves of E/Ea (septal, lateral, average) and DE (right, left, average) were compared with each other, respectively.
RESULTS: Of the 60 patients, 29 cases developed respiratory failure within 48 h, and 14 of those cases required re-intubation within 1 week. Multivariate logistic regression showed that E/Ea were all associated with respiratory failure, while only DE (right) and DE (average) after SBT were related to re-intubation. There were no statistic differences among the ROC curves of E/Ea at different positions, nor between the ROC curves of DE. No statistical differences were shown in △E/Ea between RF and ES groups, while △DE (average) was remarkably higher in NI group than that in RI group. However, multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that △DE (average) was not associated with re-intubation.
CONCLUSIONS: E/Ea at different positions during a SBT could predict postextubation respiratory failure with no statistical differences among them. Likewise, only DE (right) and DE (average) after SBT might predict re-intubation with no statistical differences between each other.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of ultrasound-guided bilateral erector spinae plane block (ESPB) on the time to extubation in patients who had undergone cardiac surgery through a midline sternotomy.
METHODS: Randomized controlled trial.
METHODS: Cairo University Hospital and National Heart Institute, Egypt.
METHODS: Patients aged 18 to 70 years who underwent a cardiac surgical procedure through a midline sternotomy.
METHODS: Recruited patients were randomized to receive either preoperative single-shot ultrasound-guided bilateral ESPB or fentanyl infusion.
METHODS: The primary outcome was the time to extubation. Other outcomes included total perioperative fentanyl consumption, pain score using the numerical rating score (NRS), length of intensive care unit (ICU) stay, and incidence of perioperative complications.
RESULTS: Two hundred and nineteen patients were available for final analysis. The mean time to extubation was significantly shorter In the ESPB group compared to the control group (159.5 ± 109.5 minutes vs 303.2 ± 95.9 minutes; mean difference, -143.7 minutes; 95% confidence interval, -171.1 to -116.3 minutes; p = 0.0001). Ultra-fast track (immediate postoperative) extubation was achieved in 23 patients (21.1%) in the ESPB group compared to only 1 patient (0.9%) in the control group. The ICU stay was significantly reduced in the ESPB group compared to the control group (mean, 47.2 ± 13.3 hours vs 78.9 ± 25.2 hours; p = 0.0001). There was a more significant reduction in NRS in the ESPB group compared to the control group for up to 24 hours postoperatively (p = 0.001).
CONCLUSIONS: Among adult patients undergoing cardiac surgery through a midline sternotomy, the extubation time was halved in patients who received single-shot bilateral ESPB compared to patients who received fentanyl infusion.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to determine the epidemiology and outcomes of unplanned extubation (UE), both accidental and self-extubation, in ICU.
METHODS: A multicentre prospective cohort study was conducted in 47 French ICUs. The number of mechanical ventilation (MV) days, and planned and unplanned extubation were recorded in each center over a minimum period of three consecutive months to evaluate UE incidence. Patient characteristics, UE environmental factors, and outcomes were compared based on the UE mechanism (accidental or self-extubation). Self-extubation outcomes were compared with planned extubation using a propensity-matched population. Finally, risk factors for extubation failure (re-intubation before day 7) were determined following self-extubation.
RESULTS: During the 12-month inclusion period, we found a pooled UE incidence of 1.0 per 100 MV days. UE accounted for 9% of all endotracheal removals. Of the 605 UE, 88% were self-extubation and 12% were accidental-extubations. The latter had a worse prognosis than self-extubation (34%vs. 8% ICU-mortality, p < 0.001). Self-extubation did not increase mortality compared with planned extubation (8 vs. 11%, p =  0.075). Regardless of the type of extubation, planned or unplanned, extubation failure was independently associated with a poor outcome. Cancer, higher respiratory rate, lower PaO2/FiO2 at the time of extubation, weaning process not-ongoing, and immediate post-extubation respiratory failure were independent predictors of failed self-extubation.
CONCLUSIONS: Unplanned extubation, mostly represented by self-extubation, is common in ICU and accounts for 9% of all endotracheal extubations. While accidental extubations are a serious and infrequent adverse event, self-extubation does not increase mortality compared to planned extubation.

BACKGROUND: In standard weaning from mechanical ventilation, a successful spontaneous breathing test (SBT) consisting of 30 min 8 cmH2O pressure-support ventilation (PSV8) without positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) is followed by extubation with continuous suctioning; however, these practices might promote derecruitment. Evidence supports the feasibility and safety of extubation without suctioning. Ultrasound can assess lung aeration and respiratory muscles. We hypothesize that weaning aiming to preserve lung volume can yield higher rates of successful extubation.
METHODS: This multicenter superiority trial will randomly assign eligible patients to receive either standard weaning [SBT: 30-min PSV8 without PEEP followed by extubation with continuous suctioning] or lung-volume-preservation weaning [SBT: 30-min PSV8 + 5 cmH2O PEEP followed by extubation with positive pressure without suctioning]. We will compare the rates of successful extubation and reintubation, ICU and hospital stays, and ultrasound measurements of the volume of aerated lung (modified lung ultrasound score), diaphragm and intercostal muscle thickness, and thickening fraction before and after successful or failed SBT. Patients will be followed for 90 days after randomization.
CONCLUSIONS: We aim to recruit a large sample of representative patients (N = 1600). Our study cannot elucidate the specific effects of PEEP during SBT and of positive pressure during extubation; the results will show the joint effects derived from the synergy of these two factors. Although universal ultrasound monitoring of lungs, diaphragm, and intercostal muscles throughout weaning is unfeasible, if derecruitment is a major cause of weaning failure, ultrasound may help clinicians decide about extubation in high-risk and borderline patients.
BACKGROUND: The Research Ethics Committee (CEIm) of the Fundació Unió Catalana d\'Hospitals approved the study (CEI 22/67 and 23/26). Registered at ClinicalTrials.gov in August 2023. Identifier: NCT05526053.

BACKGROUND: Reintubation is associated with higher risk of mortality. There is no clear evidence on the best spontaneous breathing trial (SBT) method to reduce the risk of reintubation.
OBJECTIVE: Are different methods of conducting SBTs in critically ill patients associated with different risk of reintubation compared with T-tube?
METHODS: We conducted a systematic review and Bayesian network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials investigating the effects of different SBT methods on reintubation. We surveyed PubMed, MEDLINE, CINAHL, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases from inception to January 26, 2024. The surface under the cumulative ranking curve (SUCRA) was used to determine the likelihood that an intervention was ranked as the best. Pairwise comparisons were also investigated by frequentist meta-analysis. Certainty of the evidence was assessed according to the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluations approach.
RESULTS: A total of 22 randomized controlled trials were included, for a total of 6,196 patients. The network included nine nodes, with 13 direct pairwise comparisons. About 71% of the patients were allocated to T-tube and pressure support ventilation with positive end-expiratory pressure, with 2,135 and 2,101 patients, respectively. The only intervention with a significantly lower risk of reintubation compared with T-tube was high flow oxygen (HFO) (risk ratio, 0.23; 95% credibility interval, 0.09-0.51; moderate quality evidence). HFO was associated with the highest probability of being the best intervention for reducing the risk of reintubation (81.86%; SUCRA, 96.42), followed by CPAP (11.8%; SUCRA, 76.75).
CONCLUSIONS: HFO SBT was associated with a lower risk of reintubation in comparison with other SBT methods. The results of our analysis should be considered with caution due to the low number of studies that investigated HFO SBTs and potential clinical heterogeneity related to cointerventions. Further trials should be performed to confirm the results on larger cohorts of patients and assess specific subgroups.
BACKGROUND: PROSPERO; No.: CRD42023449264; URL: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to analyze the use of corticosteroids and epinephrine in neonates for the first extubation attempt and compared clinical characteristics of infants with successful and failed extubation events.
METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study conducted at a single level III neonatal intensive care unit in Taiwan. The study included 215 infants born between 2020 and 2021 who had been intubated for more than 48 h before their first extubation attempt. We compared perinatal and peri-extubation characteristics and outcomes between the two groups. Successful extubation was defined as freedom from invasive ventilatory support 72 h after extubation. The relationship between corticosteroids, local epinephrine, and successful extubation was determined using multivariate logistic regression analysis.
RESULTS: In the univariate analysis, the failed extubation group received a significantly higher proportion of intravenous dexamethasone (p = 0.006) than the successful extubation group. Furthermore, the failed extubation group had a longer duration of nebulized epinephrine (p = 0.034) and more episodes of local application of epinephrine to the superior larynx (p = 0.003) than the successful extubation group. Multivariate analysis revealed that the absence of lung atelectasis, tachycardia 72 h after extubation, and lower post-extubation PCO2 were the key factors associated with successful extubation.
CONCLUSIONS: There were trends toward systemic dexamethasone, local application of epinephrine to the superior larynx, and longer duration of nebulized epinephrine in the reintubation group. However, corticosteroid or local epinephrine use was not significantly associated with successful extubation. Lung atelectasis, elevated levels of carbon dioxide, and tachycardia were identified as risk factors for extubation failure.

The spontaneous breathing trial (SBT) technique that best balance successful extubation with the risk for reintubation is unknown. We sought to determine the comparative efficacy and safety of alternative SBT techniques.
We searched Medline, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials from inception to February 2023 for randomized or quasi-randomized trials comparing SBT techniques in critically ill adults and children and reported initial SBT success, successful extubation, reintubation (primary outcomes) and mortality (ICU, hospital, most protracted; secondary outcome) rates. Two reviewers screened, reviewed full-texts, and abstracted data. We performed frequentist random-effects network meta-analysis.
We included 40 RCTs (6716 patients). Pressure Support (PS) versus T-piece SBTs was the most common comparison. Initial successful SBT rates were increased with PS [risk ratio (RR) 1.08, 95% confidence interval (CI) (1.05-1.11)], PS/automatic tube compensation (ATC) [1.12 (1.01 -1.25), high flow nasal cannulae (HFNC) [1.07 (1.00-1.13) (all moderate certainty), and ATC [RR 1.11, (1.03-1.20); low certainty] SBTs compared to T-piece SBTs. Similarly, initial successful SBT rates were increased with PS, ATC, and PS/ATC SBTs compared to continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) SBTs. Successful extubation rates were increased with PS [RR 1.06, (1.03-1.09); high certainty], ATC [RR 1.13, (1.05-1.21); moderate certainty], and HFNC [RR 1.06, (1.02-1.11); high certainty] SBTs, compared to T-piece SBTs. There was little to no difference in reintubation rates with PS (vs. T-piece) SBTs [RR 1.05, (0.91-1.21); low certainty], but increased reintubation rates with PS [RR 2.84, (1.61-5.03); moderate certainty] and ATC [RR 2.95 (1.57-5.56); moderate certainty] SBTs compared to HFNC SBTs.
SBTs conducted with pressure augmentation (PS, ATC, PS/ATC) versus without (T-piece, CPAP) increased initial successful SBT and successful extubation rates. Although SBTs conducted with PS or ATC versus HFNC increased reintubation rates, this was not the case for PS versus T-piece SBTs.

BACKGROUND: Recent meta-analyses and randomized studies have shown that among patients with acute ischemic stroke undergoing endovascular thrombectomy, general anesthesia with mechanical ventilation is associated with better functional status compared to local anesthesia and sedation, and they recommend its use. But once the procedure is completed, when is the optimal moment for extubation? Currently, there are no guidelines recommending the optimal moment for extubation. Prolonged mechanical ventilation time could potentially be linked to increased complications such as pneumonia or disturbances in cerebral blood flow due to the vasodilatation produced by most anesthetic drugs. However, premature extubation in a patient who has suffered a stroke could led to complications such as agitation, disorientation, abolished reflexes, sudden fluctuations in blood pressure, alterations in cerebral blood flow, respiratory distress, bronchial aspiration, and the need for reintubation. We therefore designed a randomized study hypothesizing that early compared with delayed extubation is associated with a better functional outcome 3 months after endovascular thrombectomy treatment under general anesthesia for acute ischemic stroke.
METHODS: This investigator-initiated, single-center, prospective, parallel, evaluated blinded, superiority, randomized controlled trial will include 178 patients with a proximal occlusion of the anterior circulation treated with successful endovascular thrombectomy (TICI 2b-3) under general anesthesia. Patients will be randomly allocated to receive early (< 6 h) or delayed (6-12 h) extubation after the procedure. The primary outcome measure is functional independence (mRS of 0-2) at 90 days, measured with the modified Rankin Score (mRS), ranging from 0 (no symptoms) to 6 (death).
CONCLUSIONS: This will be the first trial to compare the effect of mechanical ventilation duration (early vs delayed extubation) after satisfactory endovascular thrombectomy for acute ischemic stroke under general anesthesia.
BACKGROUND: The study protocol was approved April 11, 2023, by the by the Santiago-Lugo Research Ethics Committee (CEI-SL), number 2023/127, and was registered into the clinicaltrials.gov clinical trials registry with No. NCT05847309. Informed consent is required. Participant recruitment begins on April 18, 2023. The results will be submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal and presented at one or more scientific conferences.

BACKGROUND: Post-anesthetic emergence agitation is common after general anesthesia and may cause adverse consequences, such as injury as well as respiratory and circulatory complications. Emergence agitation after general anesthesia occurs more frequently in nasal surgery than in other surgical procedures. This study aimed to assess the occurrence of emergence agitation in patients undergoing nasal surgery who were extubated under deep anesthesia or when fully awake.
METHODS: A total of 202 patients (18-60 years, American Society of Anesthesiologists classification: I-II) undergoing nasal surgery under general anesthesia were randomized 1:1 into two groups: a deep extubation group (group D) and an awake extubation group (group A). The primary outcome was the incidence of emergence agitation. The secondary outcomes included number of emergence agitations, sedation score, vital signs, and incidence of adverse events.
RESULTS: The incidence of emergence agitation was lower in group D than in group A (34.7% vs. 72.8%; p < 0.001). Compared to group A, patients in group D had lower Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale scores, higher Ramsay sedation scores, fewer agitation episodes, and lower mean arterial pressure when extubated and 30 min after surgery, whereas these indicators did not differ 90 min after surgery. There was no difference in the incidence of adverse events between the two groups.
CONCLUSIONS: Extubation under deep anesthesia can significantly reduce emergence agitation after nasal surgery under general anesthesia without increasing the incidence of adverse events.
BACKGROUND: Registered in Clinicaltrials.gov (NCT04844333) on 14/04/2021.

BACKGROUND: No objective indicator exists for evaluating cough strength during extubation of tracheally intubated patients. This study aimed to determine whether cough peak expiratory flow (CPEF) can predict the risk of reintubation due to decreased cough strength.
METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study of patients who were admitted to our Emergency Intensive Care Unit between September 1, 2020 and August 31, 2021 and were under artificial ventilation management for ≥ 24 h. The patients were divided into two groups: successful extubation and reintubation groups, and the relationship between CPEF immediately before extubation and reintubation was investigated.
RESULTS: Seventy-six patients were analyzed. In the univariate analysis, CPEF was significantly different between the successful extubation (90.7 ± 25.9 L/min) and reintubation (57.2 ± 6.4 L/min) groups (p < 0.001). In the multivariate analysis with age and duration of artificial ventilation as covariates, CPEF was significantly lower in the reintubation group (p < 0.01). The cutoff value of CPEF for reintubation according to the receiver operating characteristic curve was 60 L/min (area under the curve, 0.897; sensitivity, 78.5%; specificity, 90.9%; p < 0.01).
CONCLUSIONS: CPEF in tracheally intubated patients may be a useful indicator for predicting the risk of reintubation associated with decreased cough strength. The cutoff CPEF value for reintubation due to decreased cough strength was 60 L/min.