Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Wake up and breathe!

The benefits of spontaneous breathing trials and sedation interruptions (spontaneous awakening trials) in mechanically ventilated patients have been known for years. A recent pivotal study showed that combining both trials in an integrated protocol provides additional benefits including decreased mortality. One of the study authors discussed the practical aspects of the integrated protocol, popularly known as the wake up and breathe protocol, in a recent Medscape interview.

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