Outcomes for difficult-to-wean subjects after cardiac surgery.

Background: The need for prolonged mechanical ventilation (PMV) after cardiac surgery is still a common problem. We hypothesized that subjects who required PMV after a single surgery (either coronary artery bypass grafting or valve surgery) would have better outcomes than those who had experienced both revascularization and valve surgery.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the characteristics and outcomes for patients consecutively admitted to our weaning unit (WU) after cardiac surgery between December 2007 and August 2012.

Use of the Functional Independence Measure in people for whom weaning from mechanical ventilation is difficult.

Background: The Functional Independence Measure (FIM) has been proposed as an outcome measure for people receiving pulmonary rehabilitation after an acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Objective The purpose of this study was to examine the clinical utility of the FIM after a weaning program in people for whom weaning from mechanical ventilation is difficult. Design This was a retrospective observational study.