Physiotherapy intervention is safety in early postoperative patients after cardiac surgery

Introduction: Physiotherapy intervention practice is a nonmedication technique and adverse events are not identified using currently available automated information systems. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the incidence of adverse events during physiotherapy interventions in extubated patients undergoing cardiac surgery within early postoperative period. Methods: Prospective, observational study of 698 interventions in 258 patients admitted to Surgical Intensive Care, aged ≥ 18 years, after extubation. We excluded patients with neurological and cognitive impairment. Physical therapy interventions were observed, performed by physiotherapists outside of the protocol. We recorded the occurrence of adverse events, classifying them according to symptomatic consequences for the patient, on a scale of increasing order of severity ranging from grade I (“near miss”) to grade V (death). Results: A total of 116 (18%) interventions had a physiological abnormality or potential safety event (95%CI:15–21%), with the most common being ambulation (40%) and non-invasive ventilation (37%). The main types of adverse events were alteration in blood pressure, and vertigo. Only fifteen occurrences, 2% of total interventions (95%CI:1-4%), required minimal additional treatment or cost. Conclusion: Adverse events in physiotherapy interventions appear to be common and in most cases progress without serious damage, but systematic prevention of risk is needed in early postoperative patients after cardiac surgery.