Extubation is removing an endotracheal tube (ETT), which is the last step in liberating a patient from the mechanical ventilator. To discuss the actual procedure of extubation, one also needs to understand how to assess readiness for weaning and management before and after extubation.
Other terms related to extubation are 'weaning' and 'liberation.' Weaning is a gradual transition from full invasive ventilatory support to spontaneous ventilation with minimal support. Liberation, however, means the complete discontinuation of mechanical ventilation. The current trend is to use the term 'liberation' as opposed to 'weaning' in intensive care unit (ICU) ventilator management because the goal is to liberate patients from the ventilator as soon as possible rather than weaning over several days to weeks. Weaning is more common in long-term, acute care settings.
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