An investigation of the variables associated with normal and delayed hospital discharge following first time isolated coronary artery bypass graft surgery

The optimum day for discharge after coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery has been subject to some debate yet there has been a steady increase in the number of patients discharged within 5 days of surgery. Delayed discharges may result in the under use of surgical capacity and impact upon patient outcomes.

The author conducted a retrospective; correlational study of 333 patients to investigate the variables associated with delayed discharge after CABG. The results suggest it is possible to identify patients likely to achieve a 5-day discharge from their age and Parsonnet score [Circulation, 79(Suppl. I), 1989, 3]. The introduction of a policy of adopting a 5-day discharge for those patients could maximise surgical capacity and improve patient outcomes. Further prospective study is recommended after the policy has been implemented to evaluate the effectiveness of age and Parsonnet score to predict a 5-day discharge.