WorldwidE AssessmeNt of Separation of pAtients From Ventilatory assistancE

The purpose of this study is to describe, in a large population of ICU patients the burden of, management and spectrum of approaches to weaning from ventilation, in patients that require invasive mechanical ventilation for any reason, for a time period of at least 24 hours. It will answer the following questions:

• What are the current approaches taken to wean patients from invasive mechanical ventilation?
• What is the frequency of delayed weaning from invasive mechanical ventilation?
• What are the factors that are used to determine when patients are in the weaning phase?
• What are the barriers to effective weaning from invasive MV?
• What factors (patient, institutional, medical practice) contribute to failed attempts to wean from invasive mechanical ventilation?
• What is the impact of premorbid conditions on weaning from invasive MV?
• What is the utility of existing classifications for weaning from invasive MV?
• What is the impact of early versus delayed and/or failed weaning from invasive MV?

Patients will be screened for the study when undergoing mechanical ventilation and admitted in the ICU.

Day 1 will be defined as the first day when IMV commences Day 2 commences at 6-10am (fixed time point each day per ICU practice) after IMV commences. Patients undergoing invasive mechanical ventilation on the morning of day 1 will be screened for the study Patients still undergoing IMV on Day 2, will be enrolled in the study Patients not undergoing invasive mechanical ventilation or liberated from invasive mechanical ventilation on day 1 will be re-evaluated daily for the presence of inclusion criteria.

Inclusion criteria

Screening: all patients admitted in the ICU and aged >16 will be screened daily

• A patient will be included if he/she is undergoing Invasive mechanical ventilation on the second morning (between 6am and 10 am) after initiation of mechanical ventilation or after ICU admission (if ventilation was already in place).

Exclusion criteria

• Lack of informed consent (where required)
• Patients already present in the ICU at the beginning of the study, independently of the form of ventilatory support