Enhanced Glycemic Recovery After Cardiac Surgery: A Quality Improvement Project

Abstract

Hyperglycemia in adult cardiac surgery may result in post-operative sternal wound infections, pneumonia, renal failure, increased length of stay, and cost. The Surgical Care Improvement Project (SCIP) (2006) requires blood glucose control in cardiac surgery at 6:00 am on post-operative day one (POD1) and post-operative day two (POD2) to be 200mg/dL or less. Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) guidelines use a Maltodextrin 12.5% carbohydrate beverage six hours and two hours pre-operative of general surgery to improve post-operative outcomes, cost, and length of stay. One study replicated ERAS guidelines in adult coronary artery bypass grafting surgery patients finding patients had decreased length of stay and improved glycemic control six hours postoperatively. The purpose of this quality improvement project is to outline a proactive approach to the modifiable risk factor of pre-operative fasting. This quality improvement project describes a pre-operative fasting carbohydrate protocol for non-emergent, adults, scheduled for cardiac surgery at 10:00am or later, with a hemoglobin A1C of 8.4% or less, and a body mass index of 35 or less. The protocol is named the Hungry Sweet Heart Protocol and an implementation plan is described for a community hospital located in Tucson, AZ. Updating practices of strict NPO status prior to cardiac surgery is a proactive measure to improve glycemic control and adherence to SCIP guidelines post-operatively. Interdisciplinary teams, including DNPs, are perfectly suited to guide this implementation.