Effects of Two Different Levels of Positive End-Expiratory Pressure on the Duration of Intubation in Patients Undergoing Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery

Background: Several factors affect the duration of mechanical ventilation in open-heart surgery patients. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) levels of 5 and 10 cmH(2)O on the duration of intubation in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery. Methods: This study was a clinical trial with a sample size of 90 patients. The patients were classified into 2 groups of control (PEEP = 5 cmH(2)O) and intervention (PEEP = 10 cmH(2)O) via the stratified-block-randomized method, and then the duration of intubation and the duration of hospitalization were calculated and recorded per patient. Results: Each group comprised 25 (55.6%) men and 20 (44.4%) women. The 2 groups had no statistically significant difference in terms of the duration of intubation (P = 0.9). Conclusions: The use of physiological and therapeutic levels of PEEP (5 and 10 cmH(2)O) did not lead to complications such as pneumothorax and a decrease in cardiac output and can, thus, be used by physicians to correct and improve the condition of oxygenation in patients on mechanical ventilation. However, the use of these PEEP levels is not recommended for decreasing the duration of intubation and hospitalization.