Patients residing in the intensive care unit typically receive mechanical ventilatory support. Selecting the appropriate level of mechanical ventilation is not trivial, and it has been shown that lung protective settings can reduce mortality in patients with lung injury. Despite being a life- saving therapy, duration of mechanical ventilation should be kept at a minimum to reduce effects of immobilization, long-term sedation, patient discomfort, risk of ventilator associated pneumonia, leading to decreasing mortality and economic costs etc. The duration of mechanical ventilation is also an important factor in weaning from ventilatory support, with prolonged ventilator support making the weaning process more difficult.