Myocardial ischemia during the weaning period

OBJECTIVES: To estimate the incidence of silent myocardial ischemia, its pattern over time and its relationship to the time and mode of weaning high-risk cardiac patients after noncardiac surgery. DESIGN: Prospective study with random assignment to one of three weaning modes. SETTING: A surgical intensive care unit in a university hospital and a Veterans Administration hospital. PATIENTS: Sixty-two patients meeting standard criteria for extubation were randomized to one of three modes of weaning: synchronized intermittent mandatory ventilation (n = 19), T-Bar (n = 21) or continuous positive airway pressure (n = 22). METHODS: Ischemia was monitored with a continuous two-lead (V5, III) ST segment analyzer. Tracings were reviewed by a cardiologist. Ischemia was defined as greater than 1 mm ST segment depression 60 milliseconds after the J point. The monitoring period included a prewean (mean 654.0 minutes), wean (mean 46.5 minutes) and postwean (mean 1223.4 minutes) period. RESULTS: Of 62 patients, 12 (19.3%) experienced ischemia at some time during the monitoring period, most often during the weaning period. Ischemia during weaning was detected in 3 of 21 (14.3%) T-Bar patients and 2 of 22 (9.1%) continuous positive airway pressure patients but in no synchronized intermittent mandatory ventilation patients. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that silent myocardial ischemia occurs frequently in high-risk postoperative patients, with the highest incidence during weaning.