Automated weaning from mechanical ventilation: Results of a Bayesian network meta-analysis

Purpose: Mechanical ventilation (MV) weaning is a crucial step. Automated weaning modes reduce MV duration but the question of the best automated mode remains unanswered. Our objective was to compare the major automated modes for MV weaning in critically ill and post-operative adult patients.

Material and methods: We conducted a network Bayesian meta-analysis to compare different automated modes. We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE and Cochrane central registry for randomized control trials comparing automated weaning modes either to another automated mode or to standard-of-care. The primary outcome was the duration of MV weaning extracted from the original trials.

Results: 663 articles were screened and 26 trials (2097patients) were included in the final analysis. All automated modes included in the study (ASV°, Intellivent ASV, Smartcare, Automode°, PAV° and MRV°) outperformed standard-of-care but no automated mode reduced the duration of mechanical ventilation weaning as compared to others in the network meta-analysis.

Conclusion: Compared to standard weaning practice, all automated modes significantly reduced the duration of MV weaning in critically ill and post-operative adult patients. When cross-compared using a network meta-analysis, no specific mode was different in reducing the duration of MV weaning. The study was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42015024742).