Percentage of Patients on a Ventilator for > 24 Hours Following CABG Surgery, Risk-Adjusted Rate, 2009

19 hospitals in Washington perform cardiac surgery. Patients undergoing anesthesia are put on a ventilator to help them breath during surgery. The earlier a patient is able to be taken off the ventilator, or extubated, following surgery, the more comfortable they are and the better they generally do overall.  All 19 of these hospitals participate in COAP, a statewide cardiac quality improvement program.

Results for this measure refer to the percentage of patients in Washington State that were on a ventilator for a prolonged period of time (> 24 hours) following coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. This is a new measure for COAP and for the past two years the rate has dropped from 8.4% to 7.4%.  Individual hospital results for 2009 range from a high of 14.7% of patients on a ventilator longer than 24 hours, to a low of 2.3%. We would never expect this number to reach 0%, because some patients have a very real need to stay on a ventilator longer.

Ask your surgeon about the typical practices for taking a patient off the ventilator as soon as possible following cardiac surgery at your hospital and for your particular case. Encourage your surgeon to ask about their COAP report regarding prolonged ventilation so they know you care!

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