Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 9, 2025

A Novel Rescue Technique for Difficult Intubation and Difficult Ventilation
Published on: January 17, 2011
Noninvasive respiratory support preventing reintubation after pediatric cardiac surgery-A systematic review
Ilari Kuitunen1,2, Mikko Uimonen3
1University of Eastern Finland, Institute of Clinical Medicine and Department of Pediatrics, Kuopio, Finland.
Insights
This systematic review found no clear evidence favoring any specific noninvasive ventilation strategy for pediatric cardiac surgery patients after extubation. More high-quality studies are needed to determine optimal postextubation respiratory support.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric critical care medicine
- Cardiothoracic surgery
- Respiratory physiology
Background:
- Pediatric cardiac surgery patients often require mechanical ventilation postoperatively.
- Optimal respiratory support after extubation is crucial for preventing complications and improving outcomes.
- Noninvasive respiratory support strategies are increasingly used, but evidence for their efficacy in this population is limited.
Conclusions:
- Current evidence does not clearly support one noninvasive ventilation strategy over another for postextubation support in pediatric cardiac surgery.
- High-quality research is essential to establish optimal respiratory support protocols.
- Further studies are needed to guide clinical decision-making in this vulnerable patient group.
Objective:
To analyze the optimal postextubation respiratory support in pediatric cardiac surgery patients.
Design:
Systematic review of randomized controlled trials.
Setting:
Pediatric or neonatal intensive care units.
Participants:
All aged children (<16 years) having cardiac surgery and postoperative invasive ventilation.
Intervention:
Noninvasive respiratory support, including high flow nasal cannula (HFNC), conventional oxygen therapy (COT), noninvasive positive pressure ventilation (NIPPV), continuous positive pressure (CPAP), and noninvasive high-frequency oscillatory ventilation (NHFOV).
Measurement And Main Results:
Studies were not pooled for statistical synthesis due to the limited number and quality of the included studies. Risk ratios with 95% confidence intervals were calculated for individual studies. A total of 167 studies were screened and six were included. The risk of bias was low in one, high in one, and had some concerns in four of the studies. Extubation failure (defined as reintubation) was the main outcome of interest. Risk ratio for reintubation was 0.10 (CI 0.02-0.40) and 1.07 (CI 0.16-7.26) in HFNC versus COT, 0.49 (CI 0.05-5.28) in HFNC versus NIPPV, 0.40 (CI 0.08-1.94) in HFNOV versus CPAP, 0.75 (CI 0.26-2.18) in HFNOV versus NIPPV, and 1.37 (CI 0.33-5.73) in CPAP versus NIPPV. Treatment durations did not differ between the groups.
Conclusion:
We did not find clear evidence of a difference in reintubation rates and other clinical outcomes between different noninvasive ventilation strategies. Evidence certainty was assessed to be very low due to the risk of bias, the small number of included studies, and high imprecision. Future quality studies are needed to determine the optimal postextubation support in pediatric cardiac surgery patients.
Related Concept Videos
Mechanical Ventilation III: Noninvasive Ventilation
Noninvasive Positive-Pressure Ventilation...
Suctioning the Nasopharyngeal Airway
Equipment Required
Endotracheal Intubation II: Nursing Management
1. Nursing Care of Patients Before Intubation
Before the endotracheal intubation procedure, nurses play an essential role in ensuring the process goes smoothly. The nurses must be familiar with intubation...
Endotracheal Tube Extubation
Procedure
Extubation removes the endotracheal tube (ETT) from the patient on mechanical ventilation. It requires a well-coordinated, multidisciplinary approach involving physicians, nurses, respiratory therapists, and other healthcare professionals....
Endotracheal Intubation I: Procedure
The ET tube comprises various components, including a standard adaptor to attach a bag-valve-mask (BVM) or ventilator, a cuff, a pilot balloon, and radiopaque markings along its length to measure the insertion distance. The tube sizes...
Mechanical Ventilation II: Invasive Ventilation
Negative-Pressure Ventilators
Negative-pressure ventilators create a vacuum around the chest or body to draw air into the lungs, simulating breathing. This method does not require an...

