Abbreviations: SIMV, synchronized intermittent mandatory ventilation; NAVA, neurally adjusted ventilatory assist; PEEP, positive end-expiratory pressure; FiO2, fraction of inspired oxygen; Edi, electrical activity of the diaphragm At 36 hours of NAVA ventilation, the child was accidentally extubated during coughing.
Forty patients who were intubated prior to arrival at RCHT, had incomplete notes, or were extubated during end-of-life care were excluded.
We focused particularly on the group of patients with extubation times less than 6 h and found that 25.7% were extubated during this period (as compared with only 3% from previous audit figures in 1997).
Four of 11 patients receiving ECCO2R for COPD exacerbation were extubated during extra-corporeal treatment.
For RI analyses patients in whom monitoring was removed because the patient was extubated were assumed to have an RI value >20 during the post-extubation period.
If the SBT is successful, the patient is extubated.
Because it is well known that infants who are extubated to nasal CPAP are less likely to have respiratory deterioration, it is the usual practice of this NICU to extubate to CPAP, although this was not a rigidly defined practice during the study period.
Thus, of the 730 patients extubated during the study period, 130 (18%) were included.
Those infants who had an unintentional extubation, that is became extubated without a medical decision for extubation, were followed if they remained extubated beyond the immediate extubation.
Twelve patients were extubated (that is, had their endotracheal tube removed) during PSG monitoring.
