[Diaphragmatic excursion time index as a predictor of extubation in intensive therapy].

Background: Extubation is a critical process in the ICU. Pulmonary USG has different applications, those that predict success in extubation, such as the diaphragmatic excursion time index (DEIT).

Objective: To determine the diaphragmatic excursion time index is a predictor of the success of weaning off mechanical ventilation in patients in the intensive care unit.

Material and methods: Diagnostic performance study in patients in the ICU and in the extubation protocol. Diaphragmatic measurement by USG, evaluating DEIT; cut-off point of 2.42 ± 1.55 cm/s. In the hypothesis test, a JI square was carried out between the two qualitative variables, in order to accept or reject H0, with a statistical significance of p < 0.05 to determine if there is dependence between the dependent and independent variables.

Results: Total of 200 patients from the population, with successful extubation in 52.5% and extubation failure in 47.5%. Prognostic values of the DEIT were: S: 77.1% (68.2-84.1%), E: 56.8% (46.8-66.3%). ROC curve for ITED, AUC of 0.665 (0.58-0.74; p = 0.001). In secondary objectives, a correlation was made between ventilatory and demographic variables for successful extubation; with FvT (Rho: 0.680, p = 0.0001).

Conclusions: The DEIT for withdrawal of mechanical ventilation has low sensitivity and specificity as a result of successful extubation. The finding that DEIT is not an adequate predictor determining the outcome of successful extubation.