Factors associated with extubation success in premature infants submitted to the spontaneous breathing trial

Many factors can influence the extubation of premature infants and it is not safe to use only the spontaneous breathing trial. Objective: To connect cardiac, neurological and pulmonary factors that influence the extubation success in premature infants submitted to the 5-minute Spontaneous Breathing Trial (SBT). Methods: The sample consisted of 27 premature infants that passed through the weaning protocol until eligibility for extubation. The premature infants were followed daily from birth to post-extubation. The extubation protocol/checklist was composed for clinical and neurological conditions, pulmonary and cardiac factors, medication, post-extubation ventilatory support, physiological variables, ventilatory parameters and SBT test with the Silverman Andersen Respiratory Severity Score (SA-RSS). Descriptive analyzes of quantitative variables and Mann-Whitney statistical tests were performed. Results: The ventilatory parameters that showed statistical differences between the groups were plateau pressure and tidal volume. The gestational age (GA) using Capurro method, GA corrected and birth weight were higher in the success group (0.02, 0.003 and 0.0). The use of caffeine may have contributed to successful extubation (p = 0.03). The post-extubation support that presents statistical significance was non-invasive intermittent positive pressure ventilation (NIPPV) (0.01). Conclusion: The study pointed out important variables that contributed to the extubation success, such as the ventilatory parameters, clinical stability and use of caffeine for the weaning process.