The Effect of Discontinuation Protocol on the Duration of Mechanical Ventilation

While in many instances، mechanical ventilation discontinuation is assessed subjectively by a number of parameters; protocols would provide safe and effective discontinuation. This study aimed to determine the effect of discontinuation protocol on the duration of mechanical ventilation among patients hospitalized in intensive care units (ICUs) of Al Zahra hospital in Esfahan city. It was a randomized clinical trial. Fifty patients who had been connected to mechanical ventilators for more than 48 hours were assigned to either experimental (n=25) or control (n=25) group by minimization. The experimental group was weaned by a special protocol by trained nurses and the control group was weaned as usual. Data was analyzed by descriptive and inferential statistics (t-test، chi-square، Fisher''s exact and Mann-Whitney) using SPSS-PC (v. 17). The findings showed that the mean duration of mechanical ventilation in experimental group is significantly lower than the control group (p=0. 03). The mean length of stay in intensive care unit of patients in the experimental group was significantly lower than the control group (p=0. 006). There were also a significant deference between unsuccessful extubaion in experimental and control groups (p=0. 01). The results showed that using a structured guideline and weaning tool shortens the length of mechanical ventilation and length of stay in ICUs and also reduces unsuccessful extubation comparing routine methods.