title: Routine postoperative care of patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting on cardiopulmonary bypass.
abstract: The postoperative course of a patient undergoing cardiac surgery (CS) is dictated by a largely predictable set of interactions between disease-specific and therapeutic factors. ICU personnel need to quickly develop a detailed understanding of the patient's current status and how critical care resources can be used to promote further recovery and eventual independence from external support. The goal of this article is to describe a typical operative and postoperative course, with emphasis on the latter, and the diagnostic and therapeutic options necessary for the proper care of these patients. This paper will focus on coronary artery bypass grafting as a model for understanding the course of CS patients; however, many of the principles discussed are applicable to most cardiac surgery patients.
authors.affiliation: Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Palo Alto, CA, USA geoffL@stanford.edu.
authors.forename: Geoffrey K
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: Lighthall
authors.affiliation: Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Palo Alto, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Megan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Olejniczak
mesh_terms: D002315:Cardiopulmonary Bypass / Q000379:methods*; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass / Q000379:methods*; D003422:Critical Care / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D011182:Postoperative Care / Q000379:methods*
keywords: cardiac surgery; cardiopulmonary bypass; intensive care; resuscitation