Do intraoperative variables have an effect on the timing of tracheal extubation after coronary artery bypass graft surgery?
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to investigate whether any intraoperative variable had a significant effect on extubation time after coronary artery bypass graft surgery.


METHODS
Study design was a retrospective study.


METHODS
Study took place in 1 cardiac center in the United Kingdom that had 1000 cases per year.


METHODS
Eighty-nine patients had coronary artery bypass graft surgery in the first 6 months of 1998 performed by one consultant cardiac surgeon.


METHODS
Study measures included intraoperative variables (number of vessels grafted, time on cardiopulmonary bypass [CPB], length of the operation, use of internal mammary artery) and extubation time.


RESULTS
Mean extubation time was 4.97 hours. On analysis via linear regression no intraoperative variables were found to be statistically significant (P = .05) to extubation time.


CONCLUSIONS
This study identified that early extubation can be achieved safely. Although no variable was found to have a significant effect on extubation time, the relationship between CPB and extubation may have been attributed to the low mean CPB time within the study (49.1 minutes). The relationship between cardiac status, ischemia, and the timing of extubation does warrant additional exploration.
Walthall
Helen
H
School of Health Care/School of Biological and Molecular Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, United Kingdom. hewalthall@brookes.ac.uk
Ray
Steve
S
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007442:Intubation, Intratracheal; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D006113:United Kingdom