Background Cardiac dysfunction can prevent successful discontinuation of mechanical ventilation. Critically ill patients may have undetected cardiac disease, and cardiac dysfunction can be produced or exacerbated by underlying pathophysiology.

Objective To describe and compare hemodynamic function and cardiac rhythm during baseline mechanical ventilation with function and rhythm during a trial of continuous positive airway pressure in medical intensive care patients.

Methods A convenience sample of 43 patients (53% men; mean age 51.1 years) who required mechanical ventilation were recruited for this pilot study. Cardiac output, stroke volume, arterial blood pressure, heart rate, cardiac rhythm, and plasma catecholamine levels were measured during mechanical ventilation and during a trial of continuous positive airway pressure.

Results One third of the patients had difficulty discontinuing mechanical ventilation. Successful patients had significantly increased cardiac output and stroke volume without changes in heart rate or arterial pressure during the trial of continuous positive airway pressure. Unsuccessful patients had no significant changes in cardiac output, stroke volume, or heart rate but had a significant increase in mean arterial pressure. The 2 groups of patients also had different patterns in ectopy. Concurrently, catecholamine concentrations decreased in the successful patients and significantly increased in the unsuccessful patients during the trial.

Conclusions Patterns of cardiac function and plasma catecholamine levels differed between patients who did or did not achieve spontaneous ventilation with a trial of continuous positive airway pressure. Cardiac function must be systematically considered before and during the return to spontaneous ventilation to optimize the likelihood of success.

You do not currently have access to this content.