Assessment of factors affecting short-term pulmonary functions following cardiac surgery: A prospective observational study.

Background: Pulmonary complications after cardiac surgery are very common and lead to an increased incidence of post-operative morbidity and mortality. Several factors, either modifiable or non-modifiable, may contribute to the associated unfavorable consequences related to pulmonary function. This study was aimed to investigate the degree of alteration and factors influencing pulmonary function (forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV) and forced vital capacity), on third, fifth, and seventh post-operative days following cardiac surgery.