Weaning from mechanical ventilation in neurocritical subjects according to the WIND classification: a descriptive study

Authors

Abstract

Objective: To describe weaning from invasive  mechanical ventilation in (IMV) neurocritical subjects according to the WIND classification. The secondary objective is to report the characteristics of IMV during hospitalization.

Materials and methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional, and retrospective study was conducted. Subjects aged 18 years or older admitted to an intensive care unit with central neurological pathology and IMV were included. Subjects with a known history of neuromuscular disease, central nervous system infection, or incomplete data of the primary variable were excluded.

Results: Seventy-nine subjects with central neurological pathology were included. According to the WIND classification, the largest proportion was observed in group 0 with 20 subjects (25.3 %), followed by group 1 with 19 (24 %), group 3a with 16 (20.2 %), group 3b with 13 (16.4 %), and group 2 with 11 (13.9 %).
A total of 61 subjects (85.9 %) initiated IMV under volume-controlled continuous mandatory ventilation. The most commonly used spontaneous breathing trial was the T-tube, both in subjects with an endotracheal tube (n = 48; 50 %) and in those who performed their first separation attempt while tracheostomized (n = 11; 34.3 %).
Thirty-eight subjects (48.1%) underwent at least one extubation; of these, 13 (34.2%) required reintubation. Mortality occurred in 34 subjects (43.1%).

Conclusion: The process of weaning from mechanical ventilation in neurocritical subjects was classified according to WIND. Unlike what has been described in the general population of critically ill patients, the most prevalent group was that with no separation attempts.

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Published

2026-03-01

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Keywords

artificial respiration, ventilator weaning, brain injuries, traumatic brain injury, airway extubation, tracheostomy

How to Cite

1.
Boer M, Cardoso JS, Challiol VP, Ramirez AA, Cardoso G, Mastandrea MI, Barnes MA, Noseda JP, Wirszke Zoloaga A, Herbón AS. Weaning from mechanical ventilation in neurocritical subjects according to the WIND classification: a descriptive study. AJRPT. 2026;8(1):13-21. doi: 10.58172/ajrpt.v8i1.400