BACKGROUND: Self-extubation is a common complication in intubated patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) and is associated with a high rate of reintubation. This study aimed to identify predictors of reintubation following self-extubation (SE) and assess the prognosis of these patients. METHODS: Data were extracted from the French ICU database, OutcomeRea™. The primary objective was to identify factors associated with reintubation within 48 h after self-extubation. Secondary objectives included evaluating the association between reintubation and mortality, ICU length of stay, and nosocomial pneumonia. RESULTS: Between November 1996 and May 2022, 12,917 patients were intubated in the ICU. Among them, 701 patients experienced SE without therapeutic limitations at the time, and 276 (39.4%) required reintubation. In adjusted analyses, the following factors were independently associated with reintubation: a higher non-neurological SOFA score on the day before SE (OR 1.16 [1.01; 1.34]; p = 0.03), duration of invasive mechanical ventilation > 7 days before SE (OR 1.79 [1.04; 3.26]; p = 0.04), enteral nutrition on the day of SE (OR 2.59 [1.75; 3.84]; p