Effect of applying cold gel pack on the pain associated with deep breathing and coughing after open heart surgery.

Background: Coughing and deep breathing after sternotomy causes severe pain. This study was conducted to assess the effect of cold therapy on the pain in patients undergoing open heart surgery.

Materials And Methods: In a randomized controlled trial (RCT) with crossover design, 50 eligible and consenting patients were recruited and randomly allocated to gel pack and non-gel pack groups on the first postoperative day.

The effect of diabetes mellitus on short term mortality and morbidity after isolated coronary artery bypass grafting surgery.

Background: This study was conducted to determine whether Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is a predictor of short term mortality ; morbidity, or early readmission to hospital after Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG).

Methods: We analyzed a large cohort of 952 patients who had undergone isolated CABG. The preoperative, intera operative and postoperative risk factors as well as the complications and 30-day mortality rates were compared between the diabetics and non-diabetics.