Respiratory care
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Multicenter Study Clinical Trial Observational Study
Predictors of Extubation Failure Related to Aspiration and/or Excessive Upper Airway Secretions.
Extubation failure may have several causes, including swallowing dysfunction, aspiration, and excessive upper airway secretions. We hypothesized that a bedside global swallowing pattern assessment including 9 criteria (volume of pharyngeal secretions, 5 swallowing motor items, swallowing reflex, and 2 gag reflexes) performed prior to extubation could identify patients at risk of extubation failure. ⋯ In subjects with prolonged ventilation, the presence of one or both gag reflexes could predict a reduction in extubation failure related to aspiration or excessive upper airway secretions. (Clinical trials.gov registration NCT00780078.).