Pressure support-ventilation versus spontaneous breathing with "T-Tube" for interrupting the ventilation after cardiac operations.

Objective: To compare pressure-support ventilation with spontaneous breathing through a T-tube for interrupting invasive mechanical ventilation in patients undergoing cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass.

Methods: Adults of both genders were randomly allocated to 30 minutes of either pressure-support ventilation or spontaneous ventilation with "T-tube" before extubation. Manovacuometry, ventilometry and clinical evaluation were performed before the operation, immediately before and after extubation, 1h and 12h after extubation.