title: Duration of preceding hypertension is associated with prolonged length of ICU stay.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A substantial proportion of patients suffer prolonged length of intensive care unit stay (PLOS) or prolonged mechanical ventilation (PMV) following coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Identifying factors associated with PLOS and PMV would aid in patient risk stratification. We sought to identify the factors associated with PLOS and PMV following CABG.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were patients undergoing first-time elective CABG. All were observed until discharge and clinical data were collected on a standardized proforma. PLOS and PMV were defined a priori as >2 days and >12 h respectively, based on centre norms.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 439 patients in the study, 105 (23.9%) had PLOS and 111 (25.2%) had PMV. Independent predictors of PMV were age, diabetes, previous myocardial infarction (MI), New York Heart Association (NYHA) class and statin use. The only independent predictor of PLOS was the duration of preceding hypertension.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The factors associated with PMV and PLOS in our study are easily attainable, routine clinical details and may be built into bed management algorithms. Confirmation of the association of preceding hypertension and subsequent investigation of the possible mechanism mediating this association, is suggested.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery and Interventional Science, University College London, London, UK. j.sanders@ucl.ac.uk
authors.forename: Julie S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Sanders
authors.forename: James R A
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Skipworth
authors.forename: Jackie A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Cooper
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Brull
authors.forename: Steve E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Humphries
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mythen
authors.forename: Hugh E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Montgomery
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D007362:Intensive Care Units / Q000639:trends*; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000639:trends*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012121:Respiration, Artificial / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000639:trends; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors