Automatic Tube Compensation (ATC) for Weaning Patients With Severe Neurotoxic Snake Envenoming

In the mechanically ventilated patient, the single greatest cause of imposed work of breathing is the resistance caused by the endotracheal tube. Commonly used maneuvers to overcome this resistance include the use of continuous positive airway pressure or pressure support.However, a new mode of ventilatory support called automatic tube compensation (ATC) delivers exactly the amount of pressure necessary to overcome the resistive load imposed by the endotracheal tube for the flow measured at the time (so called variable pressure support). The aim of this study is to evaluate whether a combination of pressure support with automatic tube compensation is superior to PS alone in weaning patients with severe neurotoxic snake envenoming.