Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41668136›Full record

ReviewJournal of anesthesia, analgesia and critical care2026

Proportional assist ventilation versus pressure support ventilation for weaning from mechanical ventilation: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Nathaniel Eyiah, Ahmad Sohail, Syed Awab Ali, Mahnoor Naeem, Armaghan Hanif, Ali Saqlain Saleem, Muhammad Usman, Muhammad Umer, Talha Tariq, Muhammad Zain Ul Abideen and 5 more

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Journal of anesthesia, analgesia and critical care, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

15 authors.

Nathaniel EyiahDepartment of Emergency Medicine, Ho Teaching Hospital, Ho, Ghana.
Ahmad SohailDepartment of Surgery, University College of Medicine & Dentistry, Lahore, Pakistan.
Syed Awab AliDepartment of Medicine, Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute and Research Center, Lahore, Pakistan.
Mahnoor NaeemDepartment of Medicine, King Edward Medical University, Lahore, Pakistan.
Armaghan HanifDepartment of Medicine, Ameeruddin Medical College, Lahore, Pakistan.
Ali Saqlain SaleemDepartment of Medicine, Punjab Medical College, Faisalabad, Pakistan.
Muhammad UsmanDepartment of Medicine, Allama Iqbal Medical College, Lahore, Pakistan.
Muhammad UmerDepartment of Medicine, King Edward Medical University, Lahore, Pakistan.
Talha TariqDepartment of Medicine, RYK Teaching Hospital, Rahim Yar Khan, Pakistan.
Muhammad Zain Ul AbideenDepartment of Medicine, Allama Iqbal Medical College, Lahore, Pakistan.
Uzair JafarDepartment of Medicine, King Edward Medical University, Lahore, Pakistan.
Asma'a Munasar Ali AlsubariFaculty of Medicine, Sana'a University, Sana'a, Yemen. asmamunasar@gmail.com.
Muhammad Ahmad NadeemDepartment of Liver Transplant Surgery, Digestive Diseases and Surgery Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, USA.
Ahmed NadeemCleveland Clinic, Cleveland, USA.
Muhammad HamzaUniversity of Maryland Midtown Campus, Baltimore, USA.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundWeaning from mechanical ventilation (MV) is an important step for lowering the risk of ventilator-related complications. Currently, pressure support ventilation (PSV) remains the most common weaning mode, whereas proportional assist ventilation (PAV/PAV +) has been proposed as an alternative with better weaning outcomes. We conducted this meta-analysis to compare the efficacy of PAV/PAV + and PSV in adult patients who were weaning from invasive MV.

methodsRandomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing PAV/PAV + with PSV were identified through major databases up to September 2025. The primary outcomes were weaning success and the reintubation rate; the secondary outcomes included mortality, duration of weaning, and duration of MV. We analyzed the outcomes via RevMan 5.4, with the risk ratio (RR) and mean difference (MD) as the effect measures.

resultsSeven RCTs encompassing 1,059 patients were included. The rates of weaning success were comparable between PAV/PAV + and PSV (RR 1.08; 95% CI, 1.00-1.16). PAV/PAV + was associated with a significantly lower risk of reintubation (RR 0.64; 95% CI, 0.42-0.97). There were no significant differences in mortality (RR 0.95; 95% CI, 0.72-1.25), duration of weaning (MD 5.59 h; 95% CI, - 12.56 to 23.74), or total ventilation duration (MD - 8.21 h; 95% CI, - 74.96 to 58.55).

conclusionsWe found no significant difference between PAV/PAV + and PSV regarding weaning success, mortality, duration of weaning, or duration of MV. PAV/PAV +, on the other hand, was linked to a decreased rate of reintubation, suggesting a potential benefit in critically ill patients. However, the lack of high-quality evidence precludes any strong conclusions until further large-scale studies confirm these results.

Indexed as

Mechanical ventilationMeta-analysisPressure support ventilationProportional assist ventilationWeaning

Identifiers

PMID41668136
PMCPMC12990431

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.