Cardiothoracic & vascular anesthesia
Inhaled Nitric Oxide for Severe Hypoxemia After Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG): A Propensity Score‒Matched Analysis
Authors' conclusion
In this retrospective analysis, an iNO-first strategy was associated with superior early oxygenation at 6 and 12 hours compared to an HFNC-first strategy.
Study context
- Population
- Adults with severe hypoxemia (PaO2/FiO2 ≤ 100 mmHg) after extubation following elective off-pump CABG, cardiac surgery intensive care unit (ICU), tertiary hospital, 2025matched cohort
- Participants
- 122 adults
- Exposure
- Inhaled nitric oxide (iNO)-first vs high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC)-first stepped strategy
- iNO-firstn = 61
- HFNC-firstn = 61reference
- Outcome
- PaO2/FiO2 ratio
- Follow-up
- 6, 12 and 24 hours
Methodological detailssingle-centre, propensity-score matched (1:1)
- Single-centre
- Propensity-score matched (1:1)
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
PaO2/FiO2 · 6 hours
P < 0.001
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
- Escalation to HFNC added to iNO — iNO-first
- 39.34%
PaO2/FiO2 ratio · 24 hours
- Difference at 24 h not significant (199 v 187 mmHg)
- P = 0.056
Escalation to HFNC added to iNO
- All HFNC-first patients received HFNC as initial therapy
NPPV use
- NPPV use did not differ (16.39% v 19.67%)
- P = 0.639
Postoperative hospital stay
- Shorter in iNO-first (13 v 14 days)
- P = 0.043
- Should be interpreted with caution
Original publication
Inhaled Nitric Oxide for Severe Hypoxemia After CABG: A Propensity Score‒Matched Analysis. J Cardiothorac Vasc Anesth. Published 6 August 2026. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →