Abstract
Background
In 1997, guidelines were developed for the management of high-level ventilator-dependent patients with spinal cord injury who had little or no ventilator-free breathing ability (VFBA). This article describes the three categories of patients, the decannulation criteria, and the successful decannulation of four patients with no VFBA and electrophrenic/diaphragm pacing, using these criteria.
Method
Case series.
Conclusion
Lack of VFBA in patients with high-level spinal cord injury does not mandate tracheostomy or electrophrenic/diaphragm pacing.