Conscious Level and Vasopressor Use Were Associated With Successful Weaning From Mechanical Ventilation in ICU Patients

Abstract

Background:

Various clinical parameters have been studied as predictors of successful weaning in patients in the ICU; however, the results appeared to be inconclusive.

Methods:

In an ICU with 24 beds in a regional hospital, baseline demographic characteristics and clinical parameters from 336 continuous patients admitted to ICU were collected. These parameters include age, sex, body mass index, blood levels of albumin, hemoglobin, blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, sodium, potassium, Glasgow coma scale, arterial blood gas, and vasopressor use. Patients were divided into two groups: successful weaning (n = 175) and non-successful weaning (n = 161). Continuous data were summarized by mean and standard deviation (SD), categorical data were summarized by frequency and percentage. The continuous and categorical data between groups were compared using Student’s t test and chi-square test, respectively.

Results:

All demographic and clinical parameter were similar between two groups, except for Glasgow coma scale (10.15 ± 4.58 in the successful weaning group and 7.89 ± 4.35 in the non-successful weaning group, P < .001) and vasopressor use (29.7% in the successful weaning group and 62.1% in the non-successful weaning group).

Conclusions:

Conscious level and vasopressor use appeared to be associated with successful weaning from mechanical ventilation in intubated ICU patients.