Lung ultrasound in predicting extubation failure in the postoperative period of cardiac surgery: A pilot study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.62827/fb.v27i4.1177Keywords:
Airway Extubation; Mechanical Ventilation; Ventilator Weaning; Intensive Care Unit; Treatment Outcome.Abstract
Introduction: Extubation failure after cardiac surgery is associated with increased morbidity, mortality, and length of hospital Stay. Considering alternative assessment methods, lung ultrasound has been proposed as a tool for evaluating pulmonary aeration and predicting respiratory outcomes. Objective: Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of lung ultrasound in predicting extubation failure after cardiac surgery based on the lung aeration score. Methods: A pilot, prospective, observational, and descriptive study was conducted involving 12 patients in the immediate postoperative period of cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass under mechanical ventilation. Eight lung regions were evaluated, with scores ranging from 0 to 3 for each region. Extubation success or failure within 48 hours was assessed as the outcome. Results: Extubation was successful in 75% (9) of the patients and failed in 25% (3). Patients with successful extubation presented lower scores (16.0 ± 4.031), whereas those with extubation failure presented higher scores (22.7 ± 0.577). Conclusion: Thus, lung ultrasound demonstrated potential as a predictive tool for extubation failure in the postoperative period of cardiac surgery.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Thais Bento Rudge Ramos, Ligia Santos Roceto Ratti, Maria Fernanda Toledo de Carvalho, Lilian Delazari, Luiz Claudio Martins (Autor)
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