Noncardiac Surgery Patients Research Articles

The Association of Insomnia with Depression and Anxiety Symptoms in Patients Undergoing Noncardiac Surgery

ObjectiveInsomnia is common in patients undergoing surgery. It can increase the rate of postoperative complications, interfere with patient recovery, and decrease hospital satisfaction. However, there are few studies on perioperative insomnia. This study was conducted to investigate the differences in the demographic, health status, and clinical characteristics of patients with and without insomnia postoperatively, and to identify the potential risk factors of insomnia.MethodsThere were 299 non-cardiac surgery patients, 165 females, and 134 males, with a mean age of 55 years, enrolled in the study. The Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7 (GAD-7), and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) were administered to all the patients preoperatively. The Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) was used preoperatively, and at the end of the surgery, and then one day, two days, and three days after surgery. The PHQ-9, the GAD-7, and the ISI were repeated three days after surgery. Insomnia was diagnosed by the ISI as being a score of 8–28 (mild: 8–14; moderate-severe: 15–21; severe: 22–28). The patients were divided into group A (with insomnia, N=78) and group B (without insomnia, N=221) according to their ISI score three days after surgery. The general clinical data of the two groups were analyzed first, and then binary logistic regression analysis was conducted to assess the risk factors of insomnia.ResultsA total of 299 non-cardiac surgery patients with a mean age of 55 years were enrolled in the study. Of the included patients, the number of females was 165 and the number of the male was 134. The incidence of insomnia at 3 days postoperatively was 26.1% (78/299). The average points that group A patients scored in the ISI, PHQ-9, and the GAD-7 were significantly higher than those in group B. The VAS score three days after surgery was significantly higher in group A. The PHQ-9 and the GAD-7 three days after surgery showed significantly higher depression and anxiety scores in group A. Logistic regression showed that the ISI (p<0.001, 95% CI=1.218–1.500) and the GAD-7 (p=0.003, 95% CI=1.041–1.218) preoperatively, and the PHQ-9 postoperatively (p<0.001, 95% CI=1.226–1.555), were risk factors of insomnia.ConclusionInsomnia is common and can worsen after surgery. The present study suggests that depression and anxiety are risk factors for insomnia after surgery. There is a need for further research and the development of strategies for depression and anxiety management to ensure better sleep quality for patients, which will be of significant benefit to their health.Clinical Trial RegistrationThe study was registered at clinical trial (NCT04027751); Trial registration: clinical trial, NCT04027751. Registered 22 July 2019; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04027751?cond=NCT04027751&cntry=CN&draw=2&rank=1.

The risk of postoperative deterioration of non-cardiac surgery patients with ICU referral status who are admitted to the regular ward: a retrospective observational cohort study

BackgroundHigher-risk surgical patients may not be admitted to the intensive care unit due to stable immediate post-operative status on review. The outcomes of this cohort are not well described. Our aim was to examine the subsequent inpatient course of intensive care unit -referred but not admitted surgical patients.MethodsAll patients aged ≥18 years who were referred but not admitted for post-operative management in a tertiary metropolitan intensive care unit following non-cardiac surgery between 1/7/2017 and 30/6/2018 were eligible for inclusion in this retrospective observational cohort study. Primary outcome was Medical Emergency Team activation. Secondary outcomes included unplanned intensive care unit admission; length of stay; and 30-day mortality. Risk of serious complications and predicted length of stay were calculated using the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program scoring tool.ResultsFifteen of 60 patients (25%) had a MET-call following surgery, eight (13%) patients required unplanned intensive care unit admission, with median (IQR) time to Medical Emergency Team call 9 (6–13) hours. No patients died within 30-days. There was no significant difference between mean National Surgical Quality Improvement Program predicted and actual length of stay; after adjustment, National Surgical Quality Improvement Program predicted risk of serious complications was associated with unplanned intensive care unit admission (OR [95% CI] = 1.08 [1.00–1.16], p = 0.04), although not Medical Emergency Team calls.ConclusionsPost-operative deterioration occurs frequently, and early, in a cohort of high-risk surgical patients initially assessed as being safe for ward care. Changes to current triage models for post-operative intensive care unit admission may reduce the impact of complications in this high-risk group.

Cardiac biomarkers in noncardiac surgery patients : Review of cardiac biomarkers for risk stratification and detection of postoperative adverse cardiac events

Yearly, more than 200million people worldwide undergo noncardiac surgery of whom about 5% will suffer adverse cardiac events. Therefore, risk stratification and early detection of these events is crucial. The goal of this review is to summarize the currently available evidence on the role of biomarkers in perioperative cardiac risk assessment. It presents current data of the established biomarkers troponin and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), and it also reports on new biomarkers that are still under evaluation, e.g. copeptin (amarker of neurohumoral activation) and presepsin (an inflammation marker). Narrative review. According to currently available data, there is astrong association between preoperative troponin or BNP values and postoperative adverse cardiac events and mortality. However, to date, there is only aweak recommendation for routine measurement of these biomarkers even in high-risk patients because the evidence on outcome improvement is still very limited. The evidence on treatment options in case of increased postoperative troponin values is also scarce so that international guidelines come to different conclusions regarding postoperative measurement of toponin. Meanwhile, several new biomarkers are under evaluation.

Complications as a Mediator of the Perioperative Frailty-Mortality Association.

Preoperative frailty is strongly associated with postoperative complications and mortality. However, the pathways between frailty, postoperative complications, and mortality are poorly described. The authors hypothesized that the occurrence of postoperative complications would mediate a substantial proportion of the total effect of frailty on mortality after elective noncardiac surgery. Following protocol registration, the authors conducted a retrospective cohort study of intermediate- to high-risk elective noncardiac surgery patients (2016) using National Surgical Quality Improvement Program data. The authors conducted Bayesian mediation analysis of the relationship between preoperative frailty (exposure, using the Risk Analysis Index), serious complications (mediator), and 30-day mortality (outcome), comprehensively adjusting for confounders. The authors estimated the total effect of frailty on mortality (composed of the indirect effect mediated by complications and the remaining direct effect of frailty) and estimated the proportion of the frailty-mortality association mediated by complications. The authors identified 205,051 patients; 1,474 (0.7%) died. Complications occurred in 20,211 (9.9%). A 2 SD increase in frailty score resulted in a total association with mortality equal to an odds ratio of 3.79 (95% credible interval, 2.48 to 5.64), resulting from a direct association (odds ratio, 1.76; 95% credible interval, 1.34 to 2.30) and an indirect association mediated by complications (odds ratio, 2.15; 95% credible interval, 1.58 to 2.96). Complications mediated 57.3% (95% credible interval, 40.8 to 73.8) of the frailty-mortality association. Cardiopulmonary complications were the strongest mediators among complication subtypes. Complications mediate more than half of the association between frailty and postoperative mortality in elective noncardiac surgery.

Mechanisms contributing to hypotension after anesthetic induction with sufentanil, propofol, and rocuronium: a prospective observational study

It remains unclear whether reduced myocardial contractility, venous dilation with decreased venous return, or arterial dilation with reduced systemic vascular resistance contribute most to hypotension after induction of general anesthesia. We sought to assess the relative contribution of various hemodynamic mechanisms to hypotension after induction of general anesthesia with sufentanil, propofol, and rocuronium. In this prospective observational study, we continuously recorded hemodynamic variables during anesthetic induction using a finger-cuff method in 92 non-cardiac surgery patients. After sufentanil administration, there was no clinically important change in arterial pressure, but heart rate increased from baseline by 11 (99.89% confidence interval: 7 to 16) bpm (P < 0.001). After administration of propofol, mean arterial pressure decreased by 23 (17 to 28) mmHg and systemic vascular resistance index decreased by 565 (419 to 712) dyn*s*cm−5*m2 (P values < 0.001). Mean arterial pressure was < 65 mmHg in 27 patients (29%). After propofol administration, heart rate returned to baseline, and stroke volume index and cardiac index remained stable. After tracheal intubation, there were no clinically important differences compared to baseline in heart rate, stroke volume index, and cardiac index, but arterial pressure and systemic vascular resistance index remained markedly decreased. Anesthetic induction with sufentanil, propofol, and rocuronium reduced arterial pressure and systemic vascular resistance index. Heart rate, stroke volume index, and cardiac index remained stable. Post-induction hypotension therefore appears to result from arterial dilation with reduced systemic vascular resistance rather than venous dilation or reduced myocardial contractility.

Assessment of cardiovascular risk and prevention of complications in non-cardiac surgery in patients with coronary heart disease

The incidence of cardiovascular complications in non-cardiac surgery is about 3 %. The review presents the data on the assessment of cardiovascular risk (CVR) in non-cardiac surgery. The algorithm of decisionmaking considers the functional state of the patient and the category of CVR of the upcoming surgery. Functional testing is not indicated for patients with low CVR. Stress tests should be considered in high-risk patients if the test results may change the perioperative drug therapy, the method of anesthesia, or the surgical approach. Routine coronary revascularization does not reduce perioperative risks and is used for special indications. Percutaneous coronary intervention and associated dual antiplatelet therapy may delay the timing of non-cardiac operations. Perioperative drug therapy (beta-blockers, aspirin, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers and statins) should be prescribed taking into account the individual risk of the patient.

The effects of preoperative moderate to severe anaemia on length of hospital stay: A propensity score-matched analysis in non-cardiac surgery patients.

Anaemia is frequently recorded during preoperative screening and has been suggested to affect outcomes after surgery negatively. The objectives were to assess the frequency of moderate to severe anaemia and its association with length of hospital stay. Post hoc analysis of the international observational prospective 'Local ASsessment of VEntilatory management during General Anaesthesia for Surgery' (LAS VEGAS) study. The current analysis included adult patients requiring general anaesthesia for non-cardiac surgery. Preoperative anaemia was defined as a haemoglobin concentration of 11 g dl-1 or lower, thus including moderate and severe anaemia according to World Health Organisation criteria. The primary outcome was length of hospital stay. Secondary outcomes included hospital mortality, intra-operative adverse events and postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs). Haemoglobin concentrations were available for 8264 of 9864 patients. Preoperative moderate to severe anaemia was present in 7.7% of patients. Multivariable analysis showed that preoperative moderate to severe anaemia was associated with an increased length of hospital stay with a mean difference of 1.3 ((95% CI 0.8 to 1.8) days; P < .001). In the propensity-matched analysis, this association remained present, median 4.0 [IQR 1.0 to 5.0] vs. 2.0 [IQR 0.0 to 5.0] days, P = .001. Multivariable analysis showed an increased in-hospital mortality (OR 2.9 (95% CI 1.1 to 7.5); P = .029), and higher incidences of intra-operative hypotension (36.3 vs. 25.3%; P < .001) and PPCs (17.1 vs. 10.5%; P = .001) in moderately to severely anaemic patients. However, this was not confirmed in the propensity score-matched analysis. In this international cohort of non-cardiac surgical patients, preoperative moderate to severe anaemia was associated with a longer duration of hospital stay but not increased intra-operative complications, PPCs or in-hospital mortality. The LAS VEGAS study was registered at Clinicaltrials.gov, NCT01601223.

The neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio is associated with postoperative mortality of cardiac surgery.

BackgroundThe neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) has been recognized as a useful marker of poor prognosis in non-cardiac surgery patients. But, the prognostic function of NLR in cardiovascular surgery patients still largely unknown. The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between postoperative NLR and mortality in cardiac surgery patients.MethodsClinical data were extracted from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care III (MIMIC-III) database. Postoperative day 1 (POD-1) NLR of the patients was calculated. All patients were divided into two groups according to the cut-off value of NLR, which was determined using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and Youden Index. The primary death outcomes were 30-day, 90-day and 1-year mortality. Cox proportional hazard analysis was performed to assess the associations between NLR and 1-year mortality. Logistic analysis was performed to assess the associations between NLR and other outcomes. Multivariate analyses were used to control for confounders.ResultsA total of 2,707 cardiac surgery patients were included in this study. The cut-off value of postoperative NLR was 7.28. Elevated postoperative NLR was associated with increased death outcomes including 30-day mortality [adjusted odds ratio (OR) 2.25, P=0.019], 90-day mortality (adjusted OR 2.49, P=0.001) and 1-year mortality [adjusted hazard ratio (HR) 1.58, P=0.03] of cardiac surgery in cox proportional hazard model. Elevated NLR was also associated with increased risk of continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) rate (adjusted OR 3.01, P=0.004), prolonged ICU stays (adjusted OR 2.55, P<0.001), prolonged hospital stays (adjusted OR 3.32, P<0.001) and duration of ventilatory support (adjusted OR 4.16, P<0.001) after adjusting confounders.ConclusionsElevated postoperative NLR was significantly associated with increased short-term and long-term mortality, CRRT rate, longer ICU and hospital stay, prolonged ventilation in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. NLR is promising to be a readily available and independent prognostic biomarker for patients with cardiac surgery.

2020 ACC/AHA Guideline for the Management of Patients With Valvular Heart Disease: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice Guidelines.

2020 ACC/AHA Guideline for the Management of Patients With Valvular Heart Disease: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice Guidelines.

Use of recombinant activated factor VII for the treatment of perioperative bleeding in noncardiac surgery patients without hemophilia: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of perioperative use of recombinant activated factor VII (rFVIIa) in noncardiac patients. We searched electronic databases for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that involved the use of rFVIIa through December 13, 2019 in noncardiac patients without hemophilia. Two investigators extracted the related data and assessed the quality of the included trials. Eleven RCTs examining 993 perioperative patients were ultimately included. The use of rFVIIa did not decrease all-cause mortality (RR:0.90; 95% CI:0.50,1.64; I2=0.0%; P=0.738), shorten the length of ICU (SMD:-0.15; 95% CI:-0.47,0.17; I2=0.0%; P=0.346) or hospital (SMD:0.42; 95% CI:-0.05,0.89; I2=0.0%; P=0.078) stay, or increase incidence of the thromboembolic events (RR:1.30; 95% CI:0.70,2.41; I2=0.0%; P=0.403) among perioperative patients. However, individual RCT analyses showed that the use of rFVIIa could reduce the volume of blood loss (including prostatic cancer, severe acute pancreatitis (SAP), and spinal disease) and the transfusion of RBCs (including prostatic cancer, SAP, and spinal disease) and FFP (SAP) in a subset of perioperative patients. Publication bias was not present. For perioperative hemorrhagic patients, rFVIIa-based hemostatic therapy showed no effect on mortality, ICU or hospital LOS, or the rate of thromboembolic events, although it appears to decrease blood loss and reduce the need for blood product transfusion in a subset of patients.

Role of Dexmedetomidine in anesthetic management of lower limb orthopaedic surgery in a patient with low ejection fraction

Cardiac patient for non cardiac surgery has since forever been a topic of interest for the anaesthesiologist. Few cases have only been reported with their own suitable line of management, however the simultaneous use of combined epidural spinal anaesthesia and Dexmedetomidine, an ?2 agonist has been studied by only a handful. Use of epidural for incremental doses of local anaesthetic for allaying the postoperative pain and thereby reducing the occurrence of ischemic events is also being described. Keywords: Ischaemic Heart Disease, Epidural Anaesthesia, Ejection Fraction, Dexmedetomidine.

Association between perioperative fluid management and patient outcomes: a multicentre retrospective study

BackgroundPostoperative complications increase hospital length of stay and patient mortality. Optimal perioperative fluid management should decrease patient complications. This study examined associations between fluid volume and noncardiac surgery patient outcomes within a large multicentre US surgical cohort. MethodsAdults undergoing noncardiac procedures from January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2017, with a postoperative length of stay ≥24 h, were extracted from a large US electronic health record database. Patients were segmented into quintiles based on recorded perioperative fluid volumes with Quintile 3 (Q3) serving as the reference. The primary outcome was defined as a composite of any complications during the surgical admission and a postoperative length of stay ≥7 days. Secondary outcomes included in-hospital mortality, respiratory complications, and acute kidney injury. ResultsA total of 35 736 patients met the study criteria. There was a U-shaped pattern with highest (Q5) and lowest (Q1) quintiles of fluid volumes having increased odds of complications and a postoperative length of stay ≥7 days (Q5: odds ratio [OR] 1.51 [95% confidence interval {CI}: 1.30–1.74], P<0.001; Q1: OR 1.20 [95% CI: 1.04–1.38], P=0.011) compared with Q3. Patients in Q5 had greater odds of more severe acute kidney injury compared with Q3 (OR 1.52 [95% CI: 1.22–1.90]; P<0.001) and respiratory complications (OR 1.44 [95% CI: 1.17–1.77]; P<0.001). ConclusionsBoth very high and very low perioperative fluid volumes were associated with an increase in complications after noncardiac surgery.

Preoperative levels of natriuretic peptides and the incidence of postoperative atrial fibrillation after noncardiac surgery: a prospective cohort study

Postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) is associated with clinically significant short- and long-term complications after noncardiac surgery. Our aim was to describe the incidence of clinically important POAF after noncardiac surgery and establish the prognostic value of N-terminal pro-brain-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) in this context. The Vascular events In noncardiac Surgery patIents cOhort evaluatioN (VISION) Study was a prospective cohort study involving patients aged 45 years and older who had inpatient noncardiac surgery that was performed between August 2007 and November 2013. We determined 30-day incidence of clinically important POAF (i.e., resulting in angina, congestive heart failure, symptomatic hypotension or requiring treatment) using logistic regression models to analyze the association between preoperative NT-proBNP and POAF. In 37 664 patients with no history of atrial fibrillation, we found that the incidence of POAF was 1.0% (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.9%-1.1%; 369 events); 3.2% (95% CI 2.3%-4.4%) in patients undergoing major thoracic surgery, 1.3% (95% CI 1.2%-1.5%) in patients undergoing major nonthoracic surgery and 0.2% (95% CI 0.1%-0.3%) in patients undergoing low-risk surgery. In a subgroup of 9789 patients with preoperative NT-proBNP measurements, the biomarker improved the prediction of POAF risk over conventional prognostic factors (likelihood ratio test p < 0.001; fraction of new information from NT-proBNP was 16%). Compared with a reference NT-proBNP measurement set at 100 ng/L, adjusted odds ratios for the occurrence of POAF were 1.31 (95% CI 1.15-1.49) at 200 ng/L, 2.07 (95% CI 1.27-3.36) at 1500 ng/L and 2.39 (95% CI 1.26-4.51) at 3000 ng/L. We determined that the incidence of clinically important POAF after noncardiac surgery was 1.0%. We also found that preoperative NT-proBNP levels were associated with POAF independent of established prognostic factors. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, no. NCT00512109.

Abstract 17068: Do Post-Operative Nitrates Increase Mortality in Non-Cardiac Surgery Patients With Perioperative Myocardial Injury?

Introduction: Myocardial injury after noncardiac surgery (MINS) is strongly associated with 30-day mortality, and data on its management is scarce. We hypothesized that postoperative nitrates (Isosorbide mononitrate, Isosorbide dinitrate, and scheduled Nitroglycerine) increase mortality in MINS patients. Methods: We used data from the Wake-Up T2MI registry, which is a single center, retrospective cohort of adults with elevated troponin (cTn) I (&gt;0.04 ng/dL) during hospitalization without acute coronary syndrome in a 2-year period (2009-2010). Cardiac procedures were excluded. Kaplan-Meier curves and a multivariate-adjusted Cox-proportional hazard models were performed to assess all-cause mortality at 90-days and 1-year among patients with and without nitrates upon discharge. Results: Total of 457 MINS patients were included in the final analysis. There was no significant difference in baseline characteristics and peak cTn among patients stratified by nitrates status. Prevalence of mortality in the nitrates group was significantly higher at 90-days (35.7% vs 10%, p = 0.002) and non-significantly higher at 1-year (42.9% vs. 22.4%, p = 0.073) compared to non-nitrates group. Survival benefit was significantly lower in the nitrates group at 90-days (log-rank p = 0.002) and at 1-year (log-rank p = 0.031) (Figure 1). In a multivariate-adjusted model, nitrates had a HR of 3.032 (1.018 - 9.026; p = 0.046) at 90-days and HR of 2.022 (0.809 - 5.054; p = 0.132) at 1-year (Figure 2). Conclusion: Nitrates on discharge were associated with increased mortality at 3-months and at 1-year in MINS patients. Further large-scale studies are required to validate our results.

Abstract 14045: The Incidence and Associated Risk Factors of New-onset Atrial Fibrillation in the Medical Intensive Care Unit

Introduction: New-onset AF (NOAF) in the medical ICU is associated with worse patient outcomes. The research on NOAF in this setting compared to that in the post-cardiothoracic and non-cardiac surgery patients is not as robust. For example, a 2019 literature review found that the reported incidence of NOAF in the medical ICU ranges between 1.7% and 43.9%. This retrospective single-center observational study examines the incidence and associated risk factors of this relatively understudied population. Methods: The total study population is comprised of 2682 consecutive patients with medical ICU stays in 2018. Post-operative patients as well as patients with preexisting AF were excluded. ICD-10 codes were used in conjunction with i2b2 to identify patients. Manual chart review confirmed those with NOAF during a 2018 ICU stay. These patients were compared with a control group comprised of 106 randomly-selected patients from the study population. Demographics and diagnoses were collected, along with length of stay (LOS), mortality at discharge and mortality after one year. Results: 90 patients of the 2682 patient cohort (3.4%) developed NOAF during their ICU stay. Patients with NOAF were more likely to be older (67.7 vs. 56.5 years), have hypertension (75.6% vs. 62.3%) and have peripheral vascular disease (41.1% vs. 26.4%) compared to the control group. More importantly, NOAF was associated with an increased LOS of 16.5 days relative to 9.6 days in the control group. No significant difference was found in mortality between the two groups. The results of this preliminary analysis are summarized in Table 1 . Conclusions: We found the incidence of NOAF in patients admitted to the medical ICU was 3.4%, and NOAF was associated with a significant increase in LOS. Upon completion of data extraction and multivariate analysis for the entire study population, we hope that this study will contribute to our understanding of the significance of NOAF in critically ill patients.

Association Between Preoperative Statin Use and Respiratory Complications After Noncardiac Surgery: A Retrospective Cohort Analysis.

Statins possess pleiotropic effects, which potentially benefit noncardiovascular conditions. Previous work suggests that statins reduce inflammation and prevent acute respiratory distress syndrome and infections. However, there is a paucity of data regarding potential benefits of statins on respiratory and infectious complications, particularly after noncardiac surgery. We therefore evaluated respiratory and other complications in noncardiac surgery patients taking or not taking statins preoperatively. We obtained data from the Cleveland Clinic Perioperative Health Documentation System and evaluated medical records of 92,139 inpatients who had noncardiac surgery. Among these, 31,719 patients took statins preoperatively. Statin patients were compared to nonstatin patients on incidence of intraoperative use of albuterol and postoperative respiratory complications for primary analysis. Infectious complications, cardiovascular complications, in-hospital mortality, and duration of hospitalization were compared for secondary analyses, using inverse probability of treatment weighting to control for potential confounding. Statin use was associated with lower odds of intraoperative albuterol treatment (odds ratio [OR] = 0.89; 97.5% confidence interval [CI], 0.82-0.97; P = .001; number needed to treat [NNT] = 216). Postoperative respiratory complications were also less common (OR = 0.82; 98.75% CI, 0.78-0.87; P < .001). Secondarily, statin use was associated with lower odds of infections, cardiovascular complications, in-hospital mortality, and shorter duration of hospitalization. The interaction between statin use and sex was significant (with significance criteria P < .10) for all primary and secondary outcomes except intraoperative use of albuterol. Preoperative statin use in noncardiac surgical patients was associated with slightly reduced odds of postoperative respiratory, infectious, and cardiovascular complications. However, the NNTs were high. Thus, despite the fact that statins appeared to be associated with lower odds of various complications, especially cardiovascular complications, our results do not support using statins specifically to reduce noncardiovascular complications after noncardiac surgery.

Association between postoperative haemoglobin and myocardial injury after noncardiac surgery: a retrospective cohort analysis

BackgroundMyocardial injury after noncardiac surgery (MINS) is common, mostly silent, and a strong predictor of postoperative mortality. MINS appears to result from myocardial supply–demand mismatch. Recent data support restrictive perioperative transfusion strategies that can result in low postoperative haemoglobin concentrations. Whether low postoperative haemoglobin is associated with myocardial injury remains unknown. We therefore tested the hypothesis that anaemia is associated with an increased risk of myocardial injury in adults having noncardiac surgery. MethodsWe conducted a retrospective analysis of adults ≥45 yr old who had routine postoperative troponin T (TnT) monitoring after noncardiac surgery at the Cleverland Clinic (including those enrolled in the PeriOperative ISchemic Evaluation-2 Trial [POISE-2], the Safety of Addition of Nitrous Oxide to General Anaesthesia in At-risk Patients Having Major Non-cardiac Surgery [ENIGMA-II], Vascular Events In Noncardiac Surgery Patients Cohort Evaluation Study [VISION], and Anaesthetic Depth and Complications After Major Surgery [BALANCED] trial). Patients with baseline increase in TnT and non-ischaemic aetiologies for TnT increase were excluded. The association between postoperative haemoglobin concentration during the 3 initial postoperative days and the incidence of MINS (fourth-generation TnT ≥0.03 ng ml−1 judged as attributable to ischaemia) was assessed using a time-varying covariate Cox proportional hazards survival analysis. ResultsAmong 6141 patients, 4480 were analysed. The incidence of MINS was 155/4480 (3.5%), ranging from 0/345 (0%) among patients whose lowest postoperative haemoglobin exceeded 13 g dl−1 to 52/611 (8.5%) in patients whose minimum postoperative haemoglobin was <8 g dl−1. The confounder-adjusted hazard ratio [95% confidence interval] for having MINS was 1.29 [1.16–1.42] for every 1 g dl−1 decrease in postoperative haemoglobin in a time-varying covariate analysis. Similar associations were identified in sensitivity analyses. ConclusionLower postoperative haemoglobin values are associated with MINS. Whether this association is modifiable by prevention or treatment of anaemia remains to be determined.

Incidence, Characteristics and Outcomes of Cardiac Tamponade in Patients on Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation for the Treatment of Refractory Cardiogenic Shock

Background Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation(ECMO) for the treatment of refractory cardiogenic shock has gained popularity over the last decade. Cardiac tamponade(CT), a life threatening condition, has been reported to occur in patients after the initiation of ECMO therapy. However, there is a scarcity of data pertaining to the incidence, characteristics and outcomes of pericardial tamponade in non-cardiac surgery patients undergoing ECMO for the treatment of refractory cardiogenic shock. Methodology This is a single center retrospective review of all patients developing CT post ECMO for refractory cardiogenic shock presenting between January 1999-January 2020. Patients were excluded if they were on ECMO post cardiac surgery, aged less than 18 years or had a moderate to large pericardial effusion prior to ECMO initiation. Results Out of 220 patients presenting with cardiogenic shock, 8(3.6%) patients developed CT after being treated with ECMO. Patients were mostly male (7,78%) and 66±12.8 years old. 7(77.5%) patients were on VA ECMO, 1(12.5%) patient on VAV ECMO, all of which were accessed peripherally . 5(62.5%) patients were on additional mechanical support devices: Impella(2,25%), IABP(2,25%) and tandem heart with impella(1,12.5%). 6(75%) patients were supratherapeutic whilst on systemic anticoagulation preceding CT. Initial ECMO pump flow rates were 4±0.68ml/min, mean sheath size of 22±3.1 F. 5(62.5%) patients developed CT 24 hours after ECMO initiation, 3(37.5%) patients before 24 hours. Average size of pericardial effusion was 2.1±0.1cm. None of the patients had any evidence of myocardial/great vessel perforation. 4(50%) patients were treated with pericardiocentesis, 2(25%) patients required pericardial window, and 2(25%) required both. Fluid analysis in 6(87.5%) patients revealed hemorrhagic pericardial fluid, 1(12.5%) with serosanguinous fluid and 1(12.5%) with serous fluid .6(75%) of patients died during hospitalization, but not directly from CT. Conclusion 3.6% of patients on ECMO for refractory cardiogenic shock develop CT, with most cases occurring after 24 hours of therapy initiation. Most patients who develop this are coagulopathic and are on additional mechanical support devices. CT can occur in patients without evidence of cardiac/great vessel perforation. CT should be considered in all patients on ECMO with unexplained reductions in flow rates, and this should immediately be addressed to optimize cardio-pulmonary support. Although treatable, CT in this subset of patients is reflective of an overall grave prognosis.

Diastolic stress test in the preoperative non-cardiac surgery examination

Preoperative examination of patients undergoing high-risk elective non-cardiac surgery requires identifying factors associated with both the type of surgery and comorbidity profile of each patient. Determination of clinically significant echocardiographic changes, even without severe symptoms, can contribute to a change in management or revision of scheduled date and surgery tactics. The aspects of defining echocardiographic criteria for potential postoperative cardiovascular complications, especially in asymptomatic patients with preserved left ventricular ejection fraction, are an important clinical problem. The diastolic stress test, a relatively new type of exercise testing, is currently an additional diagnostic tool to detect heart failure in patients without reduced ejection fraction. The prospects of using this method before non-cardiac surgery in patients with preserved left ventricular ejection fraction is discussed in this article.

Risk factors of intraoperative and 24-hour postoperative cardiac arrest in geriatric patients in non-cardiac surgery

Background & aim. The study aimed to identify preventable risk factors for the occurrence of intraoperative and 24-hour postoperative cardiac arrest in geriatric patients. Methods. This was a matched case-control study. Patients aged 65 and older who experienced intraoperative and 24-hour postoperative cardiac arrest between 2011 and 2018 were consecutively recruited into the case group. Cases were matched with controls by sex, age range, and in the same year of surgery in the ratio of 1:3. The outcome was the occurrence of intraoperative and 24-hour postoperative cardiac arrest. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were carried out to identify factor related outcomes. Results. From a total of 20,024 geriatric patients, 98 cases and 294 controls were recruited. The risk factors of intraoperative and 24-hour postoperative cardiac arrest were ASA classifications 3 (odds ratio [OR] 3.95, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.24-12.62) and 4 (OR 8.46, 95% CI 2.15-33.36) compared to ASA classification 2, aortic surgery (OR 16.86, 95% CI 2.9-97.99) compared to trunk and perineal surgery, potassium imbalance (OR 2.71, 95% CI 1.02-7.22), and receiving preoperative benzodiazepine (OR 3.92, 95% CI 1.36-11.28). Regional anesthesia (OR 0.18, 95% CI 0.04-0.83) and propofol (OR 0.09, 95% CI 0.03-0.24) were found to be protective factors. Conclusions. The study found that potassium imbalance might be a preventable risk factor. If feasible, performing regional anesthesia while avoiding preoperative benzodiazepine is recommended.