American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Apr 1998
Multicenter StudyUnplanned extubations in the adult intensive care unit: a prospective multicenter study. Association des Réanimateurs du Centre-Ouest.
The predisposing factors and complications of unplanned extubation (UEX) in mechanically ventilated adult patients are not well recognized. We designed a prospective multicenter observational study to identify risk factors and describe the complications of UEX. We followed 426 ventilated patients over a 2-mo period. ⋯ One death occurred as a direct consequence of UEX. By use of multivariate analysis, we identified four factors contributing to UEX: chronic respiratory failure, endotracheal tube fixation with only thin adhesive tape, orotracheal intubation, and the lack of intravenous sedation. Considering these factors, we hypothesized that simple measures should be adopted to minimize the incidence of UEX and its related complications: more vigilance during procedures at patients' bedsides, adequate sedation of agitated patients, strong fixation of the tracheal tube, particular attention paid to orally intubated patients, and daily reassessment of the possibility of weaning from the ventilator.