title: Modes to facilitate ventilator weaning.
abstract: Weaning comprises 40 percent of the duration of mechanical ventilation. Protocols to reduce weaning time and to identify candidates at the earliest possible moment have been introduced to reduce complications and costs. Increased demand for mechanical ventilation, an increase in the  number of patients requiring prolonged ventilation, and resource/staffing issues have created an environment where automated weaning may play a role. A number of closed loop techniques have been introduced since the early 1990s, with increasing sophistication. Preliminary research has demonstrated  mixed results. Current systems continue to be evaluated in different patient populations and environments. Automated weaning is part of the ICU armamentarium, and identification of the patient populations most likely to benefit needs to be further defined.
authors.affiliation: Division of Trauma and Critical Care, Department of Surgery, University of Cincinnati, Ohio 45267-0558, USA. richard.branson@uc.edu
authors.forename: Richard D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Branson
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D011175:Positive-Pressure Respiration; D056152:Respiratory Rate; D013813:Therapy, Computer-Assisted; D013990:Tidal Volume; D015300:Ventilator Weaning / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*