Weaning

The term WEANING is used in anaesthesia and intensive care medicine to describe the phase or period during which a patient who is ventilated with mechanical support is “weaned” from a ventilator.

WEANING is usually carried out in an intensive care unit or a special weaning ward.

There are three categories of weaning:

• Easy weaning: the successful weaning of the patient on the first spontaneous breathing attempt
• Difficult weaning: it takes up to three weaning attempts to achieve spontaneous breathing
• Prolonged weaning: if more than three spontaneous breathing attempts fail or if weaning takes more than seven days after the first spontaneous breathing attempt.

S2k Leitlinie „Prolongiertes Weaning“