Difficult Weaning from Mechanical Ventilation and Tracheotomy Care

With an increased focus on the shift to fast track cardiac anesthesia with early extubation protocols, there remains a cohort of patients who are difficult to wean from mechanical ventilation. The etiology of this phenomenon is multi-factorial and is difficult to predict, providing a major source of morbidity and resource utilization. In this chapter, we will explore potential variables that may predict failure in weaning from mechanical ventilation, different weaning strategies, and confounding factors necessitating tracheotomy care.