Relationship Between Demographic Characteristics, Clinical Parameters, and Extubation Time in Post-Cardiac Surgery Patients

Understanding factors influencing extubation in cardiac surgery patients is essential. This study aimed to determine the relationship between demographic characteristics, medical and clinical variables, and the extubation time in patients undergoing cardiac surgery in a cardiovascular center.
 
This causal-comparative study was conducted on 210 adult patients who underwent cardiac surgery in 2018 in Tehran. The study samples were selected via the convenience sampling method. The data collection tool was a researcher-made observation checklist that featured 4 sections on the patients’ demographic characteristics, clinical variables during surgery, clinical conditions in the ICU, and high-risk factors related to the disease. The subjects were categorized into 2 study groups of more than 6 hours of mechanical ventilation and equal to or less than 6 hours of mechanical ventilation based on their mechanical ventilation time. Via the multivariate analysis test, the factors affecting endotracheal tube extubation were determined. IBM SPSS Statistics software, version 21, was used for statistical analysis.
 
The study population consisted of 210 post-cardiac surgery patients, 142 men and 68 women, at a median age of 55 years. The findings indicated that age, sedation, and the duration of pulmonary circulation had a significant influence on the extubation time in post-cardiac surgery patients.
 
In our sample of post-cardiac surgery patients, age, sedation, and the duration of pulmonary circulation impacted the process of extubation. The implementation of a precise discontinuation program from mechanical ventilation by considering these factors is recommended to prevent long-term mechanical ventilation and shorten the ICU length of stay. (Iranian Heart Journal 2022; 23(1): 140-148)