title: [Implementation, assessment and comparison of the T-Tube and pressure-support weaning protocols applied to the intensive care unit patients who had received mechanical ventilation for more than 48 hours].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Mechanical ventilation incurs significant morbidity and mortality, weaning intensive care unit patients is highly desirable, although it is usuallyconducted in an empirical manner. Thus, this article assessed a weaning protocol implementation and compared two different methods.
  
  
  METHODS
  It was carried out a study involving 120 patients who had received mechanical ventilation for more than 48 hours. These patients were randomlyassigned to undergo one of two weaning techniques: pressure-supportventilation + PEEP (PSP) technique, which was applied to the patients in equal days, forming the PSP group (PSPG) and the T-tube method (TT), applied in odd days and forming the TT group (TTG). Standardized protocols were followedfor each technique
  
  
  RESULTS
  The patients response to extubation revealed similar progress in both PSP and TT groups, but after the Chi-square statistical test, the benefits of using a weaning protocol was clear. One hundred nine (90.83%) of all patients, had a successful weaning and any noninvasive ventilation type was needed in a span time of 24 hours after extubation, and only eleven (9.17%), had an unsuccessful weaning.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although this study didn't show any difference between the two methods applied, we could conclude that, the implementation of standardized weaning protocols can substantially decrease the patient's reintubation rate, promoting a downward trend in mortality and morbidity for these patients and shortening their hospital and intensive care units length of stay.
authors.affiliation: Hospitais Santa Paula e São Camilo.
authors.forename: Tatiane
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Colombo
authors.affiliation: Hospitais Santa Paula e São Luiz.
authors.forename: Aline Fiorillo
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Boldrini
authors.affiliation: Serviço de Fisioterapia, InCor HC, FMUSP.
authors.forename: Silvia Renata Rezek
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Juliano
authors.affiliation: Serviço de Fisioterapia, Hospital Santa Paula.
authors.forename: Maria Cecília Rezek
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Juliano
authors.affiliation: Unidade de Terapia Intensiva Adulto, Hospital Santa Paula.
authors.forename: João Geraldo Simões
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Houly
authors.affiliation: Unidade Coronariana, Hospital Santa Paula.
authors.forename: Otavio Celso Eluf
authors.initials: OC
authors.lastname: Gebara
authors.affiliation: Unidade de Terapia Intensiva B, Hospital Santa Paula.
authors.forename: Gil Vicente L
authors.initials: GV
authors.lastname: Cividanes
authors.affiliation: Unidade de Terapia Intensiva B, IPUSP.
authors.forename: Elaine C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Catão