Table 1.
Patients' characteristics at enrollment
| Successful weaning group (n = 16) |
Failed weaning group (n = 14) |
P value | |
| Gender, male/female | 9/7 | 10/4 | NS |
| Age, years | 67.6 ± 13.5 | 70.9 ± 11 | NS |
| Body mass index | 24 ± 5.6 | 21.6 ± 2.6 | NS |
| SAPS II | 29.6 ± 7.3 | 31.6 ± 6 | NS |
| Diagnosis | NS | ||
| Post-cardiac surgery | 5 | 4 | |
| ALI/ARDS | 5 | 2 | |
| COPD exacerbation | 6 | 8 | |
| Duration of MV at the time of the studya | 37.5 ± 19.6 (25–40) | 48.9 ± 26.9 (30–60) | NS |
aThe 25th to 75th percentiles are reported in parentheses. ALI/ARDS, acute lung injury/acute respiratory distress syndrome; COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; MV, mechanical ventilation; NS, not significant; SAPS II, Simplified Acute Physiology Score II.