Tracheal extubation can evoke an equally strong haemodyamic stress response as tracheal intubation. We present a patient with myocardial infarction who repeatedly failed tracheal extubation. He developed acute pulmonary oedema following each attempt at tracheal extubation due to sympathetic overactivity. A change of approach with extubation under propofol sedation followed by continued sympatholysis with dexmedetomidine infusion allowed successful extubation.
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