Brain-injured Patients Extubation Readiness Study

Severe brain-injured patients need mechanical ventilation with tracheal intubation. After treatment of the acute neurological condition, weaning of the mechanical ventilation has to be initiated notably to prevent ventilator associated pneumonia and others complications. Nevertheless, extubation failure is very common in this population due to residual neurological impairment with airway control alteration.

Guidelines about weaning of mechanical ventilation and extubation exclude brain-injured patients with a residual impaired consciousness.

In 2017, a simple and pragmatic extubation readiness clinical score was validated in a prospective observational cohort study of 140 brain injured patients. (Godet et al. Anesthesiology. 2017 Jan;126(1):104-114) In this study, brain injured patients with residual impaired consciousness who succeeded a spontaneous breathing trial were extubated. In multivariate analysis, 4 clinical elements were associated with extubation success. A prediction score was determined using the odds ratio such as followed :

1. Deglutition: 3 points if present

2. Gag reflex: 4 points if present

3. Cough: 4 points if present

4. CRS-R Score, visual item >2, 3 points if present, 1 point if not

For a cut-off value of 9, extubation failure could be predicted with a sensibility of 84%, a specificity of 75%, a positive predictive value of 89% and a negative predictive value of 66%.

In order to participate, brain-injured patients will have to succeed a spontaneous breathing trial and meet all inclusion criteria, including not being able to obey to command with no or minimal sedation. Using a stepped wedge randomisation process with intensive care units as clusters, patients will be weaned and extubated under usual care or using the extubation readiness clinical score.

The authors' hypothesis is that this clinical score will allow physicians to extubate patients at the right time interval and prevent extubation failure in this frail population.