The usefulness of respiratory physiotherapy for the prevention of pulmonary complications after cardiac surgery remains unproved .
OBJECTIVE To assess whether respiratory physiotherapy prevents pulmonary complications after cardiac surgery .
Incentive breathing devices and chest physiopathy: a controlled therapy.
Intestinal ischemia should be suspected in any patient following aortic surgery who has pain out of keeping with the operation , postoperative diarrhea ( with or without bleeding ) or an unexplained metabolic acidosis . Ten such cases of intestinal ischemia were identified during a 10-year period at the Toronto General and Toronto Western hospitals . Six occurred following repair of a ruptured abdominal aneurysm , one followed elective aneurysmectomy and three followed elective bypass for occlusive disease . The overall mortality was 70 % . Transmural bowel infa rct ion was found in six patients ( all died ) , while four patients had partial-thickness injury ( one died , three had late strictures ) . Potentially preventable factors in each patient , either single or multiple , were identified and are discussed . Emphasis on early diagnosis is stressed , because once transmural necrosis has occurred the prognosis is poor
The usefulness of respiratory physiotherapy for the prevention of pulmonary complications after cardiac surgery remains unproved .
OBJECTIVE To assess whether respiratory physiotherapy prevents pulmonary complications after cardiac surgery .