Short Stay Track Ventilator Weaning in CVICU

Abstract

Cardiac surgery patients ICU length of stay(LOS) had increased since moving to a larger, 24 bed unit in the Cardiovascular building. This resulted in a reduction from 45% to 26% of patients being weaned post‐op in a 6 hour period. Longer delays in weaning post cardiac surgery patients off the ventilator, particularly routine Cardiac bypass and valve replacement/repair patients was found to increase overall LOS and a reduced ability to perform more surgeries. After collecting data indentifying the sources of these delays, we set out to reduce the time these patients were vented. Nursing staff and Respiratory therapists developed protocols and guidelines and then educated and trained staff to initiate these protocols with a 6 hour goal for each patient. Using these education tools and this new RT/RN extubation protocol we have been able to reduce ventilator time to pre‐CVC levels, opening more beds and availabilty to perform more surgeries.