Is Nocturnal Extubation After Cardiac Surgery Associated With Worse Outcomes?

Diwan and colleagues retrospectively compared daytime to nighttime extubation for patients after cardiac surgery, considering outcomes for patients who were extubated early and patients who had longer intubation times. While there was no time-dependent difference in mortality for patients undergoing extubation within the first 24 hours after arrival in the intensive care unit, patients who were intubated for longer times showed a greater mortality risk with nighttime extubation than with daytime extubation (odds ratio 2.46, 95% confidence interval 1.45 – 4.16, p = 0.001).