Preoperative expiratory and inspiratory muscle weakness to predict postoperative outcomes in patients undergoing elective cardiac surgery.

Background: Few studies have evaluated preoperative respiratory muscle strength as a risk factor for postoperative morbidity and mortality. The objective of this study was to evaluate the association of preoperative inspiratory muscle weakness (IMW) and preoperative expiratory muscle weakness (EMW) with duration of mechanical ventilation, length of stay in the intensive care unit (ICU), incidence of postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs), and mortality in patients undergoing elective cardiac surgery.

Materials And Methods: This was a prospective observational study.