Analyzing the outcome of early versus prolonged extubation following cardiac surgery.
OBJECTIVE
This study considered the factors associated with prolonged ventilation and the effects of reduced extubation times on patient recovery, intensive care unit stay, and overall hospital stay.


METHODS
A retrospective study was performed, including 86 consecutive patients who underwent cardiac surgery from August 2006 to January 2007. The patients were divided into two groups following intensive care unit admission: Group A, duration of intubation <4 h (n=34); Group B, duration of intubation >4 h (n=52).


RESULTS
Two deaths occurred in 86 patients, and overall hospital mortality was 2.32%. Patients in Group A were younger (33.2+/-12 versus 45.8+/-13 years; p=0.001) and had better preoperative left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) (62.4+/-9.8 versus 44.6+/-9.4; p=0.003) than those in Group B. Moreover, Group A patients had a shorter intensive care unit length of stay (1.7+/-0.5 versus 2.2+/-0.8 days; p=0.006) and were discharged earlier than Group B patients (2.7+/-2.4 versus 4.01+/-3.96; p=0.014).


CONCLUSIONS
Early extubation offers a substantial advantage in terms of accelerated recovery, shorter intensive care unit, and hospital stay, suggesting that efforts to reduce extubation times are cost-effective.
Rashid
Aisha
A
Department of Cardiac Surgery, Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi, Pakistan.
Sattar
Kiran Abdul
KA
Dar
Mudassir Iqbal
MI
Khan
Abdul Bari
AB
D000328:Adult; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures / Q000401:mortality; D003422:Critical Care; D005260:Female; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D007442:Intubation, Intratracheal; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012121:Respiration, Artificial; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome