Journal of cardiothoracic and vascular anesthesia
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J. Cardiothorac. Vasc. Anesth. · Dec 2014
Advancing Extubation Time for Cardiac Surgery Patients Using Lean Work Design.
Early extubation in select cardiac surgery patients reduces tracheal intubation times, intensive care unit length of stay, and hospital length of stay. While there is good evidence in the literature to support early extubation, there is very little published research that describes how to study and redesign processes of care to increase early extubation rates. ⋯ The closely planned, coordinated, and integrated care paradigm dramatically increased the likelihood of extubation within 6 hours of arrival in the SICU.
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J. Cardiothorac. Vasc. Anesth. · Dec 2014
Do Patients Undergoing MitraClip Implantation Require Routine ICU Admission?
Because of its reduced invasiveness, MitraClip (Abbott Vascular, Menlo Park, CA) therapy usually is reserved for patients with extreme left ventricular dysfunction or severe comorbidity contraindicating surgery. The appropriate post-procedural care in this high-risk population is yet to be defined. In this study, the postoperative course of such patients is reported, focusing on early complications and need for intensive care unit (ICU) management. ⋯ A large number of patients undergoing MitraClip could be managed with a fast-track ICU course; however, it still is difficult to predict the postoperative course based on preoperative characteristics.