In infants and children mechanically ventilated, successful extubation was achieved equally effectively after a first breathing trial performed with pressure support of 10 cmH2O or a T-piece.

In a population which had passed SBT, the ability of the traditional weaning indices to discriminate between children successfully extubated and children re-intubated is very poor.

One in every 3 patients admitted to the PICUs requires ventilatory support. The ARF was the most common reason for MV, and survival of unselected infants and children receiving MV for more than 12 h was 85%.

The use of post-extubation NIV may be a useful tool to prevent reintubation with invasive mechanical ventilation. Immunocompromised patients and those with neurological history had a higher rate of failure. Patients with failure tolerated less hours of NIV and had a longer length of stay in the pediatric intensive care unit.

No abstract