Existing evidence	One systematic review (this review) dominated by a large randomized controlled study conducted in a paediatric intensive care unit
Population	Children > 28 days and < 18 years old cared for in an intensive care unit; mechanically ventilated via a nasal or oral endotracheal tube
Intervention	Protocolized weaning (i.e. the use of an algorithm or written protocol intended to result in early identification of readiness to wean and liberation of patients from invasive mechanical ventilation). This should include frequent assessment of readiness to wean using a set of agreed criteria, followed by a spontaneous breathing trial or step‐wise reduction in ventilator support
Comparison	Usual care, which incorporates any non‐protocolized practice. A clear description of usual care should be documented
Outcomes	Duration of mechanical ventilation (MV), measured in hours, from initiation of invasive MV to removal of invasive MV Mortality. Reintubation Implementation success (initial acceptance, continued adherence and sustainability)
Time stamp	April 2013
Study type	Cluster randomized controlled trial or randomized stepped wedge design with process evaluation of implementation success Blindness: participants and therapists not blind, assessors blind