Outcomes and Recovery Patterns in Complex Postoperative Cardiac Surgery (CS) Patients

Whitman G, George E, Shatzer M, Schmid A. University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing and Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Penn.

Purpose: Describe clinical outcomes and recovery patterns in complex postoperative CS patients. Background/ Significance: Scant literature exists describing current postoperative recovery patterns for complex (ICU length of stay [LOS] > 1 day) CS patients. Methods: Prospective data collection via interviews and medical record review of 102 CS patients from one academic medical center. Results: Thirty-six patients (35.3%) were complex; they had similar characteristics as noncomplex patients except they were older (P=.001), had higher comorbidity scores (P=.001), and had previous valve surgery (P=.005) and interventional procedures (P=.001). Surgeries included CABG (50%), valve (20.6%), and CABG/valve (29.4%). Mean ICU and hospital LOS was 5.2 and 10.4 days, respectively. Discharge outcomes were home (41.7%), other...

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