Comparison of three remifentanil dose-finding regimens for coronary artery surgery

Mean diastolic arterial pressure and mean heart rates are displayed for each event. Data are means ± standard error of mean. *p < 0.05 versus control for groups 1, 2, and 3. +p < 0.05 versus control for group 1. ^@p < 0.05 versus control for groups 1 and 3. Measurement times: Control (baseline before initiation of remifentanil), Pre-INT (after induction and before intubation), INT (maximum value ≤ 5 minutes after intubation), Pre-STN (presternotomy), STN (maximum value ≤5 minutes after sternotomy), Pre-IMA (pre-IMA dissection), IMA (maximum value ≤5 minutes after IMA dissection), Pre-BYP (prebypass), Pre-DCN (preaortic decannulation), DCN (maximum value ≤5 minutes after aortic decannulation), Pre-SKC (preskin closure), SKC (maximum value ≤5 minutes after skin closure). BP valves pre-BYP (bypass) reflect the use of vasodilators to lower systemic BP just before aortic cannulation. HR values at pre-DCN and later reflect electrical pacing.

The proportion of patients who met initial criteria for early tracheal extubation compared with those who actually underwent extubation within 6 hours after surgey described by investigator-site. Standard ICU practices that precluded “early” extubation as defined in the protocol, resulted in no patients being extubated in less than 6 hours by the investigator at site #3.