Weaning from mechanical ventilation: a method for assessment and planning

Abstract

Weaning patients from mechanical ventilator assistance is difficult and often requires the input of experts. Though researchers have identified numerous factors that impede weaning and continue to develop criteria to determine ability to wean, no single factor or set of criteria have yet emerged to guide clinicians. In an effort to design a tool that assists critical care nurses in forwarding the wean process, the authors developed a comprehensive, integrated, computerized ventilator weaning program that stimulates the thinking and care planning strategies of experts. The Burns Wean Assessment Program also teaches complex concepts and tracks the progress of the weaning patient.