Improving outcomes after breathing tube removal
The Maximizing Extubation outcomes Through Educational and Organizational Research (METEOR) Trial
This project will teach ICU teams and use care protocols to increase use of two breathing supports (noninvasive ventilation and high-flow nasal oxygen) right after breathing tube removal for adults recovering from acute respiratory failure.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Pittsburgh, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11187103 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you are an adult recovering from acute respiratory failure and have had a breathing tube (endotracheal tube) removed, this project focuses on using two proven breathing supports right after extubation to prevent breathing failure. The trial trains interprofessional ICU teams (doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists) and tests whether adding formal clinical protocols boosts use of these supports. Hospitals are enrolled in a stepped-wedge, cluster-randomized design, so sites switch from usual care to the education-and-protocol program in phases. The study measures both patient outcomes (reintubation, respiratory failure, death) and how well the hospitals adopt the practices.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults (21+) who required invasive mechanical ventilation for acute respiratory failure and are about to have, or have recently had, their breathing tube removed are the ideal candidates.
Not a fit: Children, patients who are not extubated or who are chronically ventilator-dependent, and patients treated at hospitals not participating in the trial are unlikely to benefit directly from this study.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lower the risk of breathing failure, reintubation, and death after breathing tube removal for many patients.
How similar studies have performed: Previous randomized trials have shown noninvasive ventilation and high-flow nasal oxygen can reduce reintubation and death, but strategies to spread these practices across ICUs have been less tested.
Where this research is happening
Pittsburgh, United States
- University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh — Pittsburgh, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Girard, Timothy D — University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
- Study coordinator: Girard, Timothy D
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.