Factors associated with intubation extended in patients who undewent a heart surgery

This study was accomplished in order to identify the factors associated with prolonged intubation in patients who underwent cardiac surgery. This is a retrospective, analytical study, with a quantitative approach, performed in a large teaching hospital in the municipality of Uberaba (Minas Gerais). The data were collected from records of patients who underwent cardiac surgery. In order to identify the factors that may be associated with a prolonged intubation, a bivariate and a latter multivariate analysis were performed. The significance level was 0.05. the study population was constituted by 460 individuals. From these, 150 (32.6%) had prolonged intubation time (over 24 hours). The majority were male (60.9%) and the average age was 55.60 years (± 12.9). The results also showed that age over 60 years, the occurrence of pulmonary infection, the presence of comorbidities, intraoperative complications and the duration of the cardiopulmonary bypass were associated with the occurrence of prolonged intubation in these patients. Considering that prolonged intubation can often contribute to the occurrence of other complications in the postoperative period of a cardiac surgery, it is emphasized the importance of a careful preoperative evaluation. The findings of this study may contribute to the adoption of preventive measures in the clinical practice, with a view to the patient’s safety and the quality of care.