The effect of a mechanical ventilation discontinuation protocol in patients with simple and difficult weaning: impact on clinical outcomes.

Objective: We sought to determine whether the utilization of a respiratory therapist (RT) driven mechanical ventilation weaning protocol is associated with improvement in clinical outcomes in subjects with simple versus difficult weaning.

Methods: This was a retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data obtained during a quality improvement project. We collected data on 803 consecutive mechanically ventilated patients admitted to the ICU of an academic tertiary care hospital.