| Simple weaning | Difficult weaning | Prolonged weaning | p-value |
Subjects | 152 (59) | 68 (26) | 37 (14) | |
ICU mortality | 5 (3) | 1 (1) | 8 (22) | 0.0005# |
Post-ICU mortality | 14 (10) | 5 (7) | 4 (14) | 0.7550 |
Hospital mortality | 19 (13) | 6 (9) | 12 (32) | 0.0205¶ |
Days between ICU admission and “ready to wean” | 0.5 (0.0–4.6) | 4.3 (1.8– 9.8) | 11.0 (4.8–15.6) | <0.0001+ |
Re-intubation | 19 (13) | 5 (7) | 2 (5) | 0.1894 |
Tracheotomy rate | 10 (7) | 10 (15) | 25 (68) | <0.0001§ |
Number of ventilator-free days within 28 days | 26 (18–27) | 21 (12–24) | 1 (0–11) | <0.0001ƒ |
Number of ICU-free days within 28 days | 23 (13–26) | 17 (8–21) | 0 (0–7) | <0.0001## |
ICU length of stay | 4 (1–9) | 11 (7–20) | 27 (18–37) | <0.0001## |
Hospital length of stay | 22 (10–39) | 33 (22–59) | 44 (32–81) | <0.0001¶¶ |
ICU survivors transferred to an intermediate care unit | 25 (17) | 12 (18) | 8 (28) | 0.2526 |
ICU survivors transferred to a normal ward | 111 (76) | 50 (75) | 16 (55) | 0.0624 |