Japanese heart journal
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Japanese heart journal · Jan 2003
Effects of smoking on pulmonary functions and arterial blood gases following coronary artery surgery in Turkish patients.
The effects of smoking on postoperative lung volumes, arterial blood gas tensions, and pulmonary complications were studied prospectively in 213 consecutive Turkish patients undergoing elective coronary artery bypass graft surgery. One hundred and seventeen patients were current smokers (19 females, 98 males, mean age. 59.0 +/- 6.1 years. group 1) and 96 were nonsmokers (40 females, 56 males mean age. 59.6 +/- 5.8 years, group 2). Demographic data and the anesthesia and surgical methods were similar in both groups. ⋯ As a result. we revealed that cigarette smoking affects pulmonary functions by causing obstructive type respiratory problems and by worsening existing restrictive type respiratory problems postoperatively. The postoperative deterioration in blood gas measurements of smokers was also statistically significant compared with nonsmokers. In addition, the incidence of pulmonary complications in smokers was 2-fold greater than in nonsmokers and was related to the number of cigarettes consumed daily, leading to prolongation of the postoperative intubation period, and ICU and hospital stays.