Cardiorespiratory monitoring during open heart surgery.

Thirty-three patients underwent extensive cardiorespiratory monitoring during cardiac surgery. Recordings of measurements, with derived variables, were made preoperatively, postoperatively, and after extubation approximately 3 h after operation. The data provide a reference that allows decisions on whether the condition of a patient after cardiac surgery deviates from the ordinary course. Details are given of the spontaneous ventilation test which taken together with monitored data provided criteria for successful early extubation in uncomplicated cases.