Are blood gases necessary in mechanically ventilated patients who have successfully completed a spontaneous breathing trial?
BACKGROUND
The utility of routinely obtaining arterial blood gas analyses (ABGs) prior to extubation in patients who have successfully completed a spontaneous breathing trial is not known.


OBJECTIVE
Review our practices and determine our extubation success rate with a policy of selective ABG utilization.


METHODS
Retrospective chart review.


RESULTS
We reviewed 54 extubations of 52 patients. Sixty-five percent of the extubations were performed without obtaining an ABG after the spontaneous breathing trial. The extubation success rate was 94% for the entire group and was the same regardless of whether an ABG measurement was obtained (94.7% vs 94.3%, respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
ABG measurement does not appear to be a prerequisite to extubation following a clinically successful spontaneous breathing trial.
Pawson
Shawn R
SR
Department of Internal Medicine, Memorial Medical Center, 1086 Franklin Street, Johnstown, PA 15905, USA.
DePriest
Jack L
JL
D000368:Aged; D001784:Blood Gas Analysis; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002985:Clinical Protocols; D003422:Critical Care; D020878:Device Removal; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007442:Intubation, Intratracheal; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012131:Respiratory Insufficiency / Q000097:blood*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015300:Ventilator Weaning