Figure 7. Timing of endotracheal intubation in the two study arms.

Cumulative percentage intubated postrandomisation during the first 7 d. For the purposes of survival analysis, the clock has been started at randomisation, or in the case of those who were intubated at randomisation, when the patient was first extubated. The clock stops either at the first postrandomisation intubation, or at death or discharge (assumed to be 40 d if discharged alive sooner than 40 d).