Figure 3.

Cuff leak volumes for critically ill patients receiving injections of dexamethasone or placebo (normal saline) before extubation. Patients who had been intubated for more than two days and who exhibited cuff leak volumes of less than 110 ml at T = 0 received injections at 6, 12, 18, and 24 hours, followed by extubation. Differences in change of cuff leak volume relative to baseline tidal volume (percentage) between the two groups were significant (*P < 0.05).