The Frequency of Screening and SBT Technique Trial: The FAST Trial

Background: The sickest patients who are admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU) often require assistance with their breathing. When patients start to get better, they gradually do more of the breathing and the machine does less-this is called weaning. Although ventilator use saves lives, the longer it is used, the more complications can occur. Clinicians aim to wean patients from ventilators in a timely and safe manner. In most ICUs, patients are screened (looked at) once per day to see if they are ready to undergo a weaning test (using a variety of techniques) to see if the breathing tube can be removed. Screening more than once per day may allow more weaning tests to be conducted. Knowing the best way to do a weaning test is important because some methods may better determine who can have the breathing tube removed safely. At present, we don't know the best way to help our sickest patients to wean from ventilators. Patients: Adults in North American ICUs who are on ventilators for at least 24 hours and who can take breaths on their own. Interventions: Patients in our study will receive one type of screening and one type of weaning test at random. In the 'once daily' screening groups, clinicians will screen patients each morning. In the 'two or more times daily screening' groups, patients will be screened in the morning, afternoon, and whenever else clinicians wish to screen. When screening criteria are met, patients will undergo one of two weaning tests with low ventilator support or no support. Outcomes: The main outcome of this study will be the time for patients to be successfully removed from the ventilator. Relevance: For patients, this study will clarify the best way to remove them from ventilators in a timely and safe manner. For clinicians and our health care systems, this study holds promise to improve how critically ill patients are weaned from breathing machines.