Early extubation following coronary artery bypass surgery : A Prospective randomized controlled trial

STUDY OBJECTIVES: To determine the safety of early extubation (EE) after coronary artery surgery. DESIGN: Prospective randomized controlled trial. SETTING: The cardiac surgery operating room and ICU of a university-affiliated teaching hospital. PATIENTS: One hundred eligible patients presenting for elective coronary artery surgery. INTERVENTIONS: Patients randomized to the EE group were administered a reduced dose of fentanyl (15 microg/kg) and an anesthetic compatible with EE, while patients randomized to the conventional extubation (CE) group were given fentanyl (50 microg/kg). MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: The time to extubation in the EE group (median, 240 min; range, 30 to 930 min) was significantly less than the CE group (median, 420 min; range, 125 to 1,140 min) (p