[Weaning from prolonged mechanical ventilation in neurological weaning units: an evaluation of the German Working Group for early Neurorehabilitation].
BACKGROUND
A significant proportion of patients with long-term mechanical ventilation (MV) and difficult or prolonged weaning suffer from primary or secondary neurological conditions and concomitant functional disorders, in addition to respiratory problems. Therefore, these patients are treated in neurological weaning departments.


METHODS
Using a questionnaire members of the German Working Group for early neurorehabilitation were interviewed with respect to the structure of weaning facilities, weaning strategies, patient characteristics and treatment outcome of patients admitted for weaning in 2009.


RESULTS
In the year 2009 a total of 1,486 patients were admitted to 7 participating neurological weaning units. The primary diagnosis was a neurological condition in 97.5% of the patients. In 62.9% of the patients the neurological condition was considered to be primarily responsible for the MV, 22.8% demonstrated pulmonary factors and for 3.0% a cardiac condition was determined to be decisive. In 5.0% of the patients it was not possible to ascertain a single cause or factor. Weaning was successful in 69.8% of all cases, 64.9% (965 patients) were released from the facility without MV, 274 patients (18.4%) were released with MV, 61.3% of these (168 patients) were referred to other rehabilitation facilities or into the care of the family physician and 38.7% (106 patients) were transferred to other hospitals due to special medical problems. The total mortality rate was 16.6% (247 patients deceased).


CONCLUSIONS
In this first comprehensive evaluation of German neurological weaning centers for patients with long-term MV, structures and treatment outcomes were compared with recent results from the literature.
Fach- und Privatkrankenhaus, Klinik Bavaria Kreischa, An der Wolfsschlucht 1-2, 01731 Kreischa, Deutschland. Frank.Oehmichen@klinik-bavaria.de
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F
Oehmichen
G
G
Ketter
M
M
Mertl-Rötzer
T
T
Platz
W
W
Puschendorf
J D
JD
Rollnik
M
M
Schaupp
M
M
Pohl
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002908:Chronic Disease; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D015995:Prevalence; D012120:Respiration Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D015300:Ventilator Weaning / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult