Effects of PEEP on Parameters of Tissue Perfusion in Patients Post Cardiac Surgery

Pulmonary dysfunction is a condition inherent in cardiac surgery because of various interventions, such as general anesthesia, a median sternotomy, cardiopulmonary bypass and establishment of internal thoracic artery dissection. In situations when there is a deterioration in oxygenation, increased positive pressure on the airways end pressure (PEEP) can be used as therapeutic mode by reversing severe hypoxemia resulting pulmonary shunt. But the use of PEEP has been associated to reduced cardiac output, due mainly to decrease systemic venous return consequent to increased intrathoracic pressure, and thus might reduce tissue oxygenation. Moreover, the increased transpulmonary gradient may also impair right ventricular ejection exacerbating the hemodynamic consequences in some patients, which in clinical practice this diagnosis may be difficult to perform. In hypovolemic patients or those with cardiac changes may become even more pronounced, resulting in accentuation of low flow and systemic hypotension entailing changes in markers of tissue perfusion commonly measured by venous saturation central difference venoarterial carbon dioxide and lactate. The hypothesis of the investigators is that PEEP of 10 cmH2O and 15 cmH2O can be applied to reverse lung damage in patients in the immediate postoperative myocardial revascularization without repercussion tissue importantly in markers of tissue perfusion. The objective is to evaluate the effects of different optimization levels of PEEP on gas exchange and influences the tissue perfusion after coronary artery bypass graft surgery.