Background: Mechanical ventilation is common in critically ill children with cardiac disease, but literature focused on ventilator liberation practices for this unique pediatric subpopulation is limited. We aimed to describe current ventilator liberation practices in critically ill children with cardiac disease. Methods: Through the Pediatric Cardiac Critical Care Consortium, an electronic survey was distributed to pediatric ICU attending physicians caring for patients with cardiac disease evaluating institutional protocols and individual practices around ventilator liberation including criteria for extubation readiness testing (ERT), ERT components, spontaneous breathing trial (SBT) method and duration, timing of extubation, and postextubation respiratory support. Results: We received 133 responses representing 47 hospitals. ERT eligibility screening and SBT protocols were reported at 22 (47%) and 26 (55%) of the 47 institutions, respectively. Most respondents used SBTs in their assessment of extubation readiness (95%) and pressure support augmentation to CPAP for SBT (92%). Most respondents reported a maximum dose threshold for epinephrine (81%), above which they would not extubate. Some indices used for determination of extubation readiness were used by nearly all respondents: pulse oximetry (92%), serum lactate (86%), and arterial pH (85%); but some respondents also report using mixed venous saturation (68%), ventricular function (62%), near-infrared spectroscopy (62%), and systemic atrioventricular valve regurgitation (53%). Reported use of noninvasive respiratory support (NRS) after extubation was common, up to 90% in selected subgroups. There was wide variation in the type of NRS used in all populations. Conclusions: ERT eligibility screening and SBT protocols were reported in only half of the institutions surveyed, and notable variation exists between parameters surrounding extubation readiness assessment and postextubation respiratory support. These data suggest opportunities to increase protocol development to align with established clinical practice guidelines around ERT and conduct multi-center quality improvement to identify best practices for ventilator liberation in this patient population.
Keywords: airway extubation; congenital heart disease; extubation readiness test; mechanical ventilation; pediatric ICU; pediatrics; spontaneous breathing trial.