title: Positive end-expiratory pressure vs T-piece. Extubation after mechanical ventilation.
abstract: Because T-piece breathing may impair oxygenation, the best airway pressure from which to extubate ventilated patients is controversial. We compared the effects of extubation after 1 h of either CPAP 5 and T-piece/ZEEP. Once weaned from mechanical ventilation and breathing spontaneously, 106 patients were randomized to 1 h CPAP or 1 h T-piece/ZEEP, following which patients were extubated and mask O2 administered. No significant difference existed between groups in age, sex, HR, BP, FIO2, PaCO2 or PaO2. However, P(A-a)O2 was significantly greater at 120 min in the CPAP group. Within the CPAP group, P(A-a)O2 was also significantly worse at 120 vs 0 min. Nineteen T-piece patients showed improved P(A-a)O2 at 120 min compared with only ten CPAP patients. Three CPAP and two T-piece patients subsequently required reintubation. This study demonstrates that use of a T-piece dose not impair arterial oxygenation and may in fact be superior to direct extubation from CPAP 5.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Wellesley Hospital, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: D P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Byrne
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Morgan
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Fraser
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hyland
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D011175:Positive-Pressure Respiration; D015300:Ventilator Weaning / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D010100:Oxygen