Determinants of time to discharge following coronary artery by pass grafting

AIM: To describe clinical factors prior to and at the time of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) associated with the number of days until hospital discharge. PATIENTS: All patients from western Sweden in whom during the time period June 1 1988-June 1 1991 CABG was performed without simultaneous valve surgery. METHODS: The time between operation and hospital discharge was calculated for every patient and related to various factors prior to and at the operation. RESULTS: Among 2035 patients the time between operation and discharged alive from hospital varied between 2 and 191 days (median 15 days). When simultaneously considering pre-, per- and postoperative factors the following appeared as independent predictors for a longer hospital time: age (years) (P < 0.0001); female sex, (P < 0.0001); time in respirator (P = 0.0004); previous congestive heart failure (P = 0.0007); reoperation (P = 0.0008); neurological complication (P = 0.001); maximum activity of serum aspartate amino transferase (P = 0.002); pneumo/hydrothorax (P = 0.002), previous cerebrovascular disease (P = 0.004), non-smoker (P = 0.006); supraventricular arrhythmia (0.006); time in intensive care unit (P = 0.007); aortic cross-clamp time (P = 0.009); obesity (P = 0.02). CONCLUSION: A large number of pre- and postoperative factors are associated with an increased time between operation and time to discharge.