OBJECTIVE: To investigate the influence of preoperative respiratory muscle strength in postoperative pulmonary complications in patients with heart failure undergoing cardiac surgery. METHODS: From March 2009 to September 2010, 40 patients admitted to the cardiology service of the Fundação de Beneficência Hospital de Cirurgia were divided into two groups according to the values of maximal inspiratory pressure measured by manometer: Group A (n = 21), composed of patients with normal respiratory muscle strength, and Group B (n = 19), patients with reduced strength. After pre-operative evaluation, all patients underwent the surgical procedure and followed until hospital discharge by the same researcher, who recorded on data collection especially its evolution for the presence of pulmonary complications after surgery, which was divided general and specific. RESULTS: 19% of patients in group A and 31.6% of patients in group B had pulmonary complications overall, this difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.29). Regarding the presence of specific complications, group A was 14.3% and 10.5% group B (P = 0.55). There was also no difference in the days of ICU stay and total (ICU + ward) between groups. CONCLUSION: In this study, preoperative respiratory muscle dysfunction does not seem to influence the evolution of heart failure patients for the presence of pulmonary complications after cardiac surgery
Heart Failure; Muscle Strength; Respiratory Muscles; Cardiac Surgical Procedures; Postoperative Complications
