Effect of postoperative immobilization after coronary artery bypass surgery

Pulmonary complications, particularly atelectasis, occur frequently after coronary artery bypass (CAB) surgery. To determine the effect of early postoperative immobility on pulmonary complications, the authors randomly assigned 35 patients into two groups. One group remained in the supine position for the first 24 h. The second group had their body position systematically turned every 2 h for the first 24 h. Turning resulted in a significant decrease in postoperative fever (p less than 0.001) and a 32% reduction in the duration of the stay in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU). Turning did not affect the patient's hemodynamic stability or arterial blood gas measurements. The authors conclude that systematic turning of CAB patients can reduce postoperative morbidity.