Objective: To assess whether a nurse led, flow monitored protocol for optimising circulatory status in patients after cardiac surgery reduces complications and shortens stay in intensive care and hospital.
Design: Randomised controlled trial.
Setting: Intensive care unit and cardiothoracic unit of a university teaching hospital.
Participants: 174 patients who underwent cardiac surgery between April 2000 and January 2003.
Interventions: Patients were allocated to conventional haemodynamic management or to an algorithm guided by oesophageal Doppler flowmetry to maintain a stroke index above 35 ml/m2.
Results: 26 control patients had postoperative complications (two deaths) compared with 17 (four deaths) protocol patients (P = 0.08). Duration of hospital stay in the protocol group was significantly reduced from a median of nine (interquartile range 7-12) days to seven (7-10) days (P = 0.02). The mean duration of hospital stay was reduced from 13.9 to 11.4 days, a saving in hospital bed days of 18% (95% confidence interval -12% to 47%). Usage of intensive care beds was reduced by 23% (-8% to 59%).
Conclusion: A nurse delivered protocol for optimising circulatory status in the early postoperative period after cardiac surgery may significantly shorten hospital stay.