Effect of Hemoglobin Levels on the Success of Weaning and Extubation Processes in Critical Patients with Mechanical Ventilation: a systematic review

Anemia or hemoglobin levels that decrease from average values are common in critical intensive care unit patients, and 61% of anemic patients require mechanical ventilation. Anemia can impair ventilation ability during weaning and extubation. However, the effect of decreased hemoglobin levels is still unclear and being debated; therefore, this systematic review was made to conclude whether hemoglobin levels affect weaning and extubation processes in critically ill patients with mechanical ventilation based on available studies. This review method uses specific keywords, and a comprehensive search of potential articles was carried out on PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, and Cochrane databases. A total of seven studies with 2054 patients with mechanical ventilation met the criteria for this study and were included in a systematic review after a thorough database check. One study found no correlation between hemoglobin and the successful weaning and extubation processes. Six studies stated that hemoglobin levels were associated with the success of the weaning and extubation processes in critically ill patients with mechanical ventilation. This study concludes that hemoglobin levels influence the weaning and extubation processes in critically ill patients with mechanical ventilation. However, more research is needed to confirm the results of this systematic review.