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The Economics of Cardiac Fast Tracking

Divisions of Critical Care Medicine and Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA

James Ramsay

Divisions of Critical Care Medicine and Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA

Extubation within a few hours of cardiac surgery is possible in the majority of patients and is not associated with an increased risk for perioperative complications. Duration of intubation is an important factor in overall postoperative length of stay, and when early extubation is instituted as part of a comprehensive clinical pathway, it contributes to significant reductions in both intensive care unit and hospital length of stay. In association with reductions in direct variable costs, these reductions in length of stay have been shown in several studies to significantly reduce overall cost or charge.

Seminars in Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia, Vol. 3, No. 4, 242-247 (1999)
DOI: 10.1177/108925329900300407


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