Relationship of age, sex, and procedure type to extubation outcome after heart surgery

OBJECTIVE: To identify the relationship of age, sex, and type of procedure to extubation outcome (less than or equal to 8 hours or > 8 hours), and to identify barriers to extubation after heart surgery. DESIGN: Quasi-experimental, prospective study. SETTING: Ten-bed cardiothoracic intensive care unit. SAMPLE: Sixty-two consecutive patients undergoing heart surgery. OUTCOME MEASURES: Early (less than or equal to 8 hours) versus delayed (> 8 hours) extubation. RESULTS: Patients in the delayed extubation group were older (69.1 +/- 11.3 years) than the patients in the early extubation group (59.6 +/- 8.0 years, p = 0.01). Univariate logistic regression comparing age (< 70 or greater than or equal to 70 years), sex, and procedure (coronary artery bypass graft or other procedure) identified only age 70 years or older as a predictor of delayed extubation. The unadjusted odds ratio of delayed extubation in patients 70 years or older was 11.25. CONCLUSIONS: Age is a powerful predictor of delayed extubation after heart surgery. Only postoperative somnolence distinguished barriers to extubation in younger and older patients.