The effect of smoking on early complications after cardiac surgery

Conventional wisdom suggests that smoking causes decreased postoperative wound healing and systemtic complications. The goal of the current study was to evaluate the effect of smoking on mortality and morbidity rates after cardiac surgery. This descriptive study was prospectively carried out over 3 months on 130 consecutive cardiac surgery patients (35% smoker 11/9% less than 5years، 23/1% more than 5 years، 65% nonsmoker) who were admitted in EmamReza''s university hospital in Mashhad. Demographic data and CARE score were recorded and calculated. SPSS statistical software version 16، and two-way ANOVA and chi square were used in statistical analysis with 95% confidence interval (CI). A statistically significant relationship between smoking and ICU length of stay (p=0/001) and hospital stay (p=0/002) was observed. Between smoking and morbidity rates there was nostatistically significant relationship (p=0/58). Percentage of mortality in our study was zero. CARE score showed strong correlation with morbidity، ICU-LOS and hospital stay (p<0/001، p<0/001، p<0/001). A history of smoking is associated with increase in ICU-LOS and hospital stay after cardiac surgery but there was no statistically significant relationship with morbidity rates. Further studies on large populations are recommended.