ICU tube removal showdown: suction vs. pressure
NCT ID NCT05147636
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tested two methods for removing breathing tubes from ICU patients. One method used suction to clear secretions, while the other used positive pressure to keep the lungs open. The goal was to see which approach helps patients breathe on their own sooner and reduces complications. Over 400 patients took part in this completed trial.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could point to a safer, more effective way to remove breathing tubes in ICU patients, potentially reducing time on ventilators and complications.
- What could go wrong
- This is a completed trial comparing two procedures, not a new drug or therapy. Results may not apply to all ICU patients or settings.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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425 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Mar 2023
- Finished
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Mar 2025
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion criteria Firstly, the decision to extubate must be made by the treating clinicians after having validated that the clinical criteria for weaning are met, namely: according to the international conference consensus on weaning , patients will be considered as ready for an initial SBT as soon as they meet all of the following criteria: * respiratory rate ≤35 breaths per minute, * adequate oxygenation defined as pulse oximetry (SpO2 ≥90%) with a fraction of inspired oxygen (FiO2) ≤0.4 or PaO2/FiO2 ≥150 mmHg with positive end-expiratory pressure ≤8 cm H2O, * hemodynamic stability with no need for vasopressors (or doses ≤0.3 μg/kg/min), * adequate cough, * patient awake with a Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale between +1 and -2 Patients meeting any of the following criteria will be included in the EXSUPEEP trial: * ICU Hospitalization * Oro-tracheal intubation * Mechanical ventilation for more than 24 h * First extubation procedure during the stay in the including unit * Consent collected from a relative of the patient. Once it has been verified that the patient meets all the eligibility criteria listed above, the patient may be extubated after a successful SBT and after obtaining consent from the patient or family. Exclusion criteria Patients meeting any of the following criteria will be excluded from the EXSUPEEP trial: * Patients receiving ventilation via tracheostomy. * Patients with underlying chronic neuromuscular disease * Patients with severe head injury * Patients with a decision to withhold and/or withdraw life support * Patients not affiliated to or beneficiary of any social security scheme. * Person benefiting from enhanced protection, namely minors, pregnant or nursing women, persons deprived of their liberty by a judicial or administrative decision, persons residing in a healthcare or social establishment, adults under legal protection (safeguard of justice, guardianship or curatorship) * Inclusion in another research project that interferes with the outcomes of the present study * Weanability criteria not met within 72 hours following the signing of consent by the relatives. * Unsuccessful weaning test within 72 hours following the signing of consent by the relatives Patients with personal NIV or continuous positive airway pressure at home will be included if Pressure Support (PS) and/or PEEP used in the ICU unit are different from the usual settings at home. Regarding infection by SARS-CoV-2 or use of endotracheal tubes with subglottic suction, they do not constitute an exclusion criterion.
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As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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CH Annecy Genevois
Annecy, France
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CH Bourg en Bresse
Bourg-en-Bresse, France
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CH Victor Dupouy
Argenteuil, France
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CHU Francois Mitterand
Dijon, France
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CHU La Miletrie
Poitiers, France
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CHU Michallon
Grenoble, France
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CHU Orléans
Orléans, Orléans, France
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HCL Croix Rousse
Lyon, France
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HCL Edouard Herriot
Lyon, France
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HCL Lyon Sud
Lyon, France
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Hopital Nord
Saint-Etienne, France