title: [Weaning from mechanical ventilation process at hospitals in Federal District].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Concerning the mechanical ventilation, the weaning is a usual and significant intensive care process. Identifying, describing and demonstrating the techniques used by Respiratory Therapists in weaning and also obtaining its parameters in Intensive Care Units (ICU).
  
  
  METHODS
  A survey related to the weaning process was done with active ICU Respiratory Therapists from (FD) in the year 2005. The survey consisted of 31 subjective and objective questions, some of them allowing multiple answers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eighty surveys were carried out at twenty hospitals. 90% of participants were specialized staff with a mean of three year working experience in ICU. In 98.7% of the answers, doctors and respiratory therapists were responsible for operating the ventilators. In 61.3%, doctors and respiratory therapists were responsible for their use and, in 36.3%, the responsibility was solely on the respiratory therapist professionals. It was found that only twenty-four respiratory therapists (30%) follow the weaning protocol. Among the most practiced parameters from the weaning process are: respiratory frequency (98%), tidal volume (97.5%) and periferic oxygen saturation (92.5%). The least utilized are the maximum inspiratory pressure (18.8%) and the vital capacity (13.8%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Great differences were observed in the weaning methods, choice of parameters and the way they were collected. These variations suggest that there is a lack of routine and the need to implement simple protocols.
authors.affiliation: Universidade Católica de Brasília.
authors.forename: Juliana Quixabeira
authors.initials: JQ
authors.lastname: Gonçalves
authors.affiliation: Universidade Católica de Brasília.
authors.forename: Raquel das Chagas
authors.initials: Rd
authors.lastname: Martins
authors.affiliation: Estágio em Cárdio-Pneumologia, Curso de Fisioterapia, UCB.
authors.forename: Ana Paula Alves de
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Andrade
authors.affiliation: Estágio em Terapia Intensiva Adulto, Curso de Fisioterapia, UCB.
authors.forename: Flavia Perassa de Faria
authors.initials: FP
authors.lastname: Cardoso
authors.affiliation: Estágio em Clínica Cirúrgica, Curso de Fisioterapia, UCB.
authors.forename: Maria do Horto Obes de
authors.initials: Mdo H
authors.lastname: Melo