Factors Associated With Ventilator Weaning Success and Failure in People With Spinal Cord Injury in an Acute Inpatient Rehabilitation Setting: A Retrospective Study

This study looked at factors that help people with spinal cord injuries (SCI) get off ventilators in rehab. It found that those who got off the ventilator sooner after their injury, had better breathing capacity when admitted, and had injuries lower down the spine were more likely to successfully wean. The research also showed that a breathing capacity measurement of 5.8 mL/kg PBW (predicted body weight) or higher was a good sign that someone could be weaned off the ventilator. The study highlights that vital capacity is a better predictor of weaning success than the level of the spinal cord injury.

• 1
  People who successfully weaned had fewer days from time of SCI to AIR admission.
• 2
  People who successfully weaned had higher vital capacity at admission to AIR.
• 3
  Vital capacity was a better predictor of weaning from mechanical ventilation compared to the neurological level of injury, with a cutoff of 5.8 mL/kg PBW predictive of weaning success.