Clinical factors associated with postoperative length of time on ventilator among coronary artery graft surgery patients

Background: Very little is known about the optimum required length of time on ventilator after CABG surgery. Further there are inconsistencies in the practice of ventilator weaning criteria after CABG surgery. Identification of factors associated with ventilator weaning recovery may help to promote patient safety and quality care after CABG surgery. Objectives: The purposes of this secondary analysis were to identify the factors associated with the length of time on ventilator and to determine the factors associated with the prolonged mechanical ventilator more than 8 hours. Materials and Methods: Secondary analysis of a case control primary study data Results: The results of this secondary analysis revealed the factors associated with the length of time on the ventilator including Age, Sex, COPD, and CHF. Among patients with a history of COPD, 29.1% remained > 8 hours on the ventilator compared to 67.7% among those without COPD (COPD: p 8 hours compared to 31% among those without CHF ( p = 0.01 and Cramer’s V = 0.21). Conclusion: These associations remained significant after adjusting for age, sex, number of grafts and body surface area. Based on the above findings, this analysis concludes that ventilator weaning outcomes should be closely monitored, while implementing weaning protocols for patients with diagnosis of COPD, and CHF co morbid conditions after CABG surgery.