Abstract
One thousand consecutive patients undergoing open heart surgical procedures were evaluated for the need for ventilation in the postoperative period. All cases of mitral valve replacement (237) and double valve replacement (85) were electively ventilated. Fifty-two other patients required ventilation for various reasons which included low cardiac output with inotropic support, ventricular arrhythmias, left atrial pressure above 18 mm Hg, bleeding, hypo or hyperthermia, unsatisfactory blood gases, neurological problems, overdosage of narcotics, incomplete reversal of relexants and flooded lungs at the end of operation. Twenty patients needed ventilation beyond 4 days. Prolonged ventilatory support was maintained with nasotracheal tube and only 3 patients required tracheostomy after 12 days for cerebral and pulmonary complications. The pulmonary complications encountered during postoperative ventilation were stiff lungs, copious secretions and bleeding in 20 patients.
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Jayalakshmi, T., Punnose, V., Kumar, A.S. et al. Ventilatory support following open heart surgery. Indian J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 4, 28–31 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02664081
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02664081