Outcomes
death
SECONDARY
The primary outcome of the present study was successful weaning. Following the consensus definition that prevailed at the time of the study design, it was defined as sustained spontaneous breathing for >48 h in the ICU after withdrawal from mechanical ventilation (MV) (The secondary outcomes were: ICU mortality, duration of weaning process, time from the decision to perform the test to extubation, frequency of extubation after the first, second, and third tests, frequency of reintubation before 48 h, frequency of reintubation after 48 h, frequency of tracheostomies after reintubation, and length of stay in the ICU (until discharge or death) from ICU admission.