Study Population
All preterm infants with birth weights less than 1,250 g who were admitted to the NICU at Hutzel Women’s Hospital were screened. Infants were eligible for the study if they received MV via an endotracheal tube and had an elective extubation. Infants who were never intubated, died before an extubation attempt was made or had an unplanned extubation prior to an elective extubation attempt were excluded from the analysis. Data were collected for only the first elective extubation attempt. Twelve patients were excluded from the analysis as they were part of another study on extubation readiness—Automated Prediction of Extubation Readiness (clinicaltrials.gov NCT01909947). The decisions for initial endotracheal intubation, timing of extubation, post-extubation support, and need for reintubation were at the discretion of the primary clinical team.