Abstract
This study was conducted to clarify the factors influencing the necessity for re-intubation. We compared the clinical factors between re-intubated and non-re-intubated patients among 344 patients admitted to our ICU. We collected data from the clinical and nursing records, and the Mann-Whitney and χ2 tests were performed to examine the statistical significance of the associations. Thirty-three (9.6%) of the 344 patients needed re-intubation within 72 hours of extubation. The Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II score, intubated duration, pneumonia, renal failure, and continuous hemodiafiltration (CHDF) were identified as significant contributors to the risk of re-intubation (P<0.05). Factors related to coughing up phlegm, such as the force of cough, and the use of a transdermic transtracheal needle, also contributed significantly to the risk of re-intubation (P<0.01).
