Pediatrics Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Pediatrics, including details on child development, perinatal medicine, child health care.

Prediction of ventilation weaning outcome: children are not little adults.

Schindler MB

Paediatric Intensive Care Unit, Bristol Royal Hospital for Children, Bristol BS2 8BJ, United Kingdom. Margrid.Schindler@ubht.swest.nhs.uk

Prediction of ventilation weaning outcome in children is important, as unsuccessful extubation increases both morbidity and mortality. Adult weaning criteria are poor predictors of weaning outcome in children for several possible reasons: the length of mechanical ventilation is generally much shorter, and the weaning failure rate is lower in children (thus larger patient numbers are required); integrated weaning indices, such as the rapid shallow breathing index, do not account for normal developmental changes in respiratory function; and the heterogeneity of mechanically ventilated children is greater than in adults. The challenge remains to find universal weaning outcome predictors in children.

Published 16 December 2005 in Crit Care, 9(6): 651-2.
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