One institution's strategy for reducing patients' mechanical ventilation times after coronary artery bypass graft surgery suggests that departments can significantly reduce ventilation times without sacrificing patient outcomes, according to an Anesthesiology News report.
Colleagues at Ohio State University Medical Center decided to start the protocol after noticing the median time on mechanical ventilation for CABG patients in the first quarter of 2010 was 12.8 hours, which was above the national average of 7.9 hours, said Ravi S. Tripathi, MD, assistant professor of critical care medicine. After initiating the protocol, Ohio State's median time on mechanical ventilation following CABG surgery fell to 7.2 hours a year later.
"The biggest hurdle was getting everyone on the same page and showing them it was possible to extubate earlier," Dr. Tripathi said. "They thought we needed to let patients rest. But we presented them data showing it's better for patients if we keep things moving."
Anesthesiologist Named Chair of Pediatrics at Cohen Children's Medical Center
Two Anesthesiologists Selected to Lead St. Joseph Medical Center Anesthesia Department
Colleagues at Ohio State University Medical Center decided to start the protocol after noticing the median time on mechanical ventilation for CABG patients in the first quarter of 2010 was 12.8 hours, which was above the national average of 7.9 hours, said Ravi S. Tripathi, MD, assistant professor of critical care medicine. After initiating the protocol, Ohio State's median time on mechanical ventilation following CABG surgery fell to 7.2 hours a year later.
"The biggest hurdle was getting everyone on the same page and showing them it was possible to extubate earlier," Dr. Tripathi said. "They thought we needed to let patients rest. But we presented them data showing it's better for patients if we keep things moving."
Related Articles on Anesthesia:
U.S. Anesthetics Market to be Worth $7B by 2015Anesthesiologist Named Chair of Pediatrics at Cohen Children's Medical Center
Two Anesthesiologists Selected to Lead St. Joseph Medical Center Anesthesia Department