2.3 Ventilatory management
In the postoperative period, all patients were shifted to cardiothoracic
surgical intensive care unit for elective mechanical ventilation (MV).
The patients were weaned from MV upon the judgment of the attending
intensivist. The patients were brought to the minimum pressure support
ventilation support (5/5) of CPAP and pressure support ventilation (PSV)
and then extubated according to our institute’s protocol of observing
the PF ratio>250, RSBI< 150. Our ultrasound
measurements did not interfere with the planned extubation or
reintubation.