Abstract:

Objective To investigate the clinical application value of spontaneous breathing trial (SBT) in the extubation of premature infants requiring invasive mechanical ventilation. Methods A total of 117 preterm infants requiring invasive mechanical ventilation were randomly divided into two groups. The children in SBT group (n=57) were extubated after SBT, and the children in clinical judgment group (n=60) were extubated based on the clinical experience. The reintubation rate within 72 hours after weaning (failure rate of weaning), mechanical ventilation duration and total hospital stay were compared between the two groups. Results The median gestational age and birth weight of 117 children (60 boys and 57 girls) were 27.7 (26.3-30.1) weeks and 1000.0 (825.0-1300.0) g. In SBT group, 57 children underwent 113 SBT. The failure rate of weaning in the SBT group was significantly lower than that in the clinical judgment group (P<0.05). There were no significant differences in mechanical ventilation duration and total hospital stay between the two groups (P>0.05). Conclusions SBT can effectively reduce the failure rate of extubation in preterm infants without increasing the duration of mechanical ventilation, and it may be used to predict successful extubation in preterm infants.

Key words: spontaneous breathing trial, premature infant, mechanical ventilation, extubation