Introduction:

The observation of the diaphragm with ultrasound has been possible for more than four decades; but only recently has importance been given to the ultra-sonographic assessment of the diaphragm in the weaning process of the ventilated patient.

Objective:

To describe the use of diaphragmatic ultrasound in the evaluation of the weaning process in two patients.

Case presentation:

Two cases are presented, the first case is a 79-year-old female patient with a diagnosis of cerebral infarction, coma and bronchopneumonia; that she required invasive mechanical ventilation and after a spontaneous ventilation test, an ultrasound of the diaphragm was performed, where a high probability of failure in extubation was verified, for which the weaning scheme was modified to correct the causes. The second 68-year-old male patient diagnosed with kerosene aspiration pneumonitis that required invasive ventilator support; that when he presented improvement of the initial symptoms and oxygenation parameters, his diaphragmatic function was evaluated by ultrasonography, verifying a high probability of success in extubation, achieved without complications.

Conclusions:

Diaphragmatic ultrasonography emerges as a tool of easy access and low cost, in the evaluation of the weaning process in ventilated patients, allowing the exploration of the function of the diaphragm in direct and at the foot of the bed. The evaluation of the diaphragmatic excursion and the fraction of diaphragmatic thickening provide us with a valuable predictive scale, to anticipate which patients will have a successful extubation or not.

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