Evaluating Outcomes in Cardiac Surgery Patients Who Receive Sugammadex vs. Placebo

At the conclusion of many cardiac surgical cases requiring cardiopulmonary bypass, patients are typically transferred to the intensive care unit (ICU) with the endotracheal tube remaining in the airway postoperatively without routine reversal of neuromuscular blockade (NMB). This blockade is typically metabolized by the liver/kidney and then patients are liberated from the ventilator in the ICU afterwards. The proposed reason for this strategy is to reduce the potential risk of rebleeding or arrhythmias due to a sympathetic response from patients. A survey among 495 cardiac anesthesiologists in the U.S. in 2002 suggested that only 9% of anesthesiologists routinely reverse NMB in these patients prior to extubation. However, the lack of reversal drug use among any surgical patient population could result in residual neuromuscular blockade, which is defined by a train of four ratio ≥0.9. Patients who do not meet this level of neuromuscular recovery are at risk for a number of adverse outcomes including hypoxemia, airway obstruction, impaired swallowing function, increased risk for aspiration, prolonged length of stay, postoperative respiratory complications, and need for reintubation. The data regarding residual neuromuscular blockade in cardiac surgical patients is limited. A prospective observational cohort of 50 cardiac surgical patients, suggested that 66% of patients had significant residual neuromuscular blockade within 1 hour postoperatively. Prolonged intubation can lead to unwanted adverse outcomes such as pneumonia. Our clinical practice at NorthShore University HealthSystem for cardiac surgical patients changed as it relates to managing neuromuscular blockade. Prior to 2019, the clinical care team (cardiac surgery, intensive care, nursing, and anesthesia) did not routinely discuss dosing or reversal of neuromuscular blockade during the ICU handoff of patients. Anesthesia professionals also did not routinely reverse neuromuscular blockade in post-cardiac surgical patients. In the latter half of 2019, the care team developed a multidisciplinary handoff checklist, which includes discussion regarding the last dose of NMB, and whether the patient was given reversal. The anesthesia professionals changed practice to meet or exceed the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) early extubation national benchmark within 6 hours of the end of surgery. Therefore, the investigators hypothesize that by reversing cardiac surgery patients with sugammadex in the ICU, the investigators will be able to achieve the STS early extubation criteria more frequently and it will also result in reduced ICU, hospital length of stay and cost of ICU stay. The investigators also believe it will result in less reintubation and pneumonia.

Inclusion criteria

• Subject must be an elective or urgent cardiac surgical patient undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass at NorthShore University HealthSystem.
• Male or female subject aged 21 to 90 years, at the time of consent.
• Subject who can consent in English.
• Subjects who are eligible for fast track extubation as defined by those patients who plan on being extubated within 24 hours of the end of surgery and optimally within the 6-hour STS benchmark time from end of surgery.

Exclusion criteria

• Subjects having emergency cardiac surgery.
• Subjects who cannot consent in English.
• Subjects who are not eligible to be extubated within 24 hours of the end of surgery.
• Subjects with neuromuscular disorders.
• Subjects on home oxygen.
• Subjects who have known allergies or reactions to rocuronium or sugammadex.
• Subjects with anticipated need for prolonged intubation by the clinical treating team.
• Subjects with a history of opioid abuse.
• Subjects on mechanical circulatory support.
• Subjects who have end stage renal disease requiring dialysis.