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.