[RNkat]

What treatments are successful in weaning patients off a vent who are so anxious that they fail daily weaning trials?

[nurseyperson]

You know sedating medications are contraindicated. It doesn't always work, but do you do the trials thru the vent, just putting them on pressure support or CPAP? If you do, then just do it without telling them. Sometimes if they don't know things are changing, they don't get the anxiety of thinking they are short of breath.
If they know they are on the trial, stay with them as much as possible, lots of encouragement. Take their mind off of the situation. Unfortunately, that is a tough problem. Can you talk the doctor into doing short trials many times during the day?
That might help build them up so they would feel less SOB and so less anxious.

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nurseyperson