Determinants of time to discharge following coronary artery by pass grafting.

OBJECTIVE

To describe clinical factors prior to and at the time of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) associated with the number of days until hospital discharge.

METHODS

All patients from western Sweden in whom during the time period June 1 1988-June 1 1991 CABG was performed without simultaneous valve surgery.

METHODS

The time between operation and hospital discharge was calculated for every patient and related to various factors prior to and at the operation.

RESULTS

Among 2035 patients the time between operation and discharged alive from hospital varied between 2 and 191 days (median 15 days). When simultaneously considering pre-, per- and postoperative factors the following appeared as independent predictors for a longer hospital time: age (years) (P < 0.0001); female sex, (P < 0.0001); time in respirator (P = 0.0004); previous congestive heart failure (P = 0.0007); reoperation (P = 0.0008); neurological complication (P = 0.001); maximum activity of serum aspartate amino transferase (P = 0.002); pneumo/hydrothorax (P = 0.002), previous cerebrovascular disease (P = 0.004), non-smoker (P = 0.006); supraventricular arrhythmia (0.006); time in intensive care unit (P = 0.007); aortic cross-clamp time (P = 0.009); obesity (P = 0.02).

CONCLUSIONS

A large number of pre- and postoperative factors are associated with an increased time between operation and time to discharge.