Automated Weaning Systems: Do They Have a Role in Clinical Practice?

Abstract

Medico-economic projections anticipate that the needs in mechanical ventilation will be overwhelmed due to medical demography stagnation. In this context, the use of automated systems to conduct weaning from mechanical ventilation is an attractive perspective that may be time consuming for doctors and nurses. Management of weaning by automated systems requires incorporating the artificial intelligence in modern ventilators to detect sooner weaning readiness and to undertake a spontaneous breathing trial accordingly. Two commercial systems meet these specifications. While data are scarce, they seem to justify the investment for these systems by showing at worst an equivalence and at best, a reduction in the length of weaning period when they are compared to conventional weaning protocols. The next challenges are to test the generalization of these systems into clinical practice and to define population’s characteristics which might benefit the most.