Preoperative Cardiac Testing Research Articles

Association of a Novel Electronic Form for Preoperative Cardiac Risk Assessment With Reduction in Cardiac Consultations and Testing: Retrospective Cohort Study.

Preoperative cardiac risk assessment is an integral part of preoperative evaluation; however, there is significant variation among providers, leading to inappropriate referrals for cardiology consultation or excessive low-value cardiac testing. We implemented a novel electronic medical record (EMR) form in our preoperative clinics to decrease variation. This study aimed to investigate the impact of the EMR form on the preoperative utilization of cardiology consultation and cardiac diagnostic testing (echocardiograms, stress tests, and cardiac catheterization) and evaluate postoperative outcomes. A retrospective cohort study was conducted. Patients who underwent outpatient preoperative evaluation prior to an elective surgery over 2 years were divided into 2 cohorts: from July 1, 2021, to June 30, 2022 (pre-EMR form implementation), and from July 1, 2022, to June 30, 2023 (post-EMR form implementation). Demographics, comorbidities, resource utilization, and surgical characteristics were analyzed. Propensity score matching was used to adjust for differences between the 2 cohorts. The primary outcomes were the utilization of preoperative cardiology consultation, cardiac testing, and 30-day postoperative major adverse cardiac events (MACE). A total of 25,484 patients met the inclusion criteria. Propensity score matching yielded 11,645 well-matched pairs. The post-EMR form, matched cohort had lower cardiology consultation (pre-EMR form: n=2698, 23.2% vs post-EMR form: n=2088, 17.9%; P<.001) and echocardiogram (pre-EMR form: n=808, 6.9% vs post-EMR form: n=591, 5.1%; P<.001) utilization. There were no significant differences in the 30-day postoperative outcomes, including MACE (all P>.05). While patients with "possible indications" for cardiology consultation had higher MACE rates, the consultations did not reduce MACE risk. Most algorithm end points, except for active cardiac conditions, had MACE rates <1%. In this cohort study, preoperative cardiac risk assessment using a novel EMR form was associated with a significant decrease in cardiology consultation and testing utilization, with no adverse impact on postoperative outcomes. Adopting this approach may assist perioperative medicine clinicians and anesthesiologists in efficiently decreasing unnecessary preoperative resource utilization without compromising patient safety or quality of care.

Factors affecting adherence to recommendations on pre-operative cardiac testing: A cohort study.

Cardiac risk evaluation prior to noncardiac surgery is fundamental to tailor peri-operative management to patient's estimated risk. Data on the degree of adherence to guidelines in patients at cardiovascular risk in Europe and factors influencing adherence are underexplored. The aim of this analysis was to describe the degree of adherence to [2014 European Society of Cardiology (ESC)/European Society of Anaesthesiology (ESA) guidelines] recommendations on rest echocardiography [transthoracic echocardiography (TTE)] and to stress imaging prior to noncardiac surgery in a large European sample and to assess factors potentially affecting adherence. Secondary analysis of a multicentre, international, prospective cohort study (MET-REPAIR). Twenty-five European centres of all levels of care that enrolled patients between 2017 and 2020. With elevated cardiovascular risk undergoing in-hospital elective, noncardiac surgery. (Non)adherence to each pre-operative TTE and stress imaging recommendations classified as guideline-adherent, overuse and underuse. We performed descriptive analysis. To explore the impact of patients' sex, age, geographical region, and hospital teaching status, we conducted multivariate multinominal regression analysis. Out of 15 983 patients, 15 529 were analysed (61% men, mean age 72 ± 8 years). Overuse (conduction in spite of class III) and underuse (nonconduction in spite of class I recommendation) for pre-operative TTE amounted to 16.6% (2542/15 344) and 6.6% (1015/15 344), respectively. Stress imaging overuse and underuse amounted to 1.7% (241/14 202) and 0.4% (52/14 202) respectively. Male sex, some age categories and some geographical regions were significantly associated with TTE overuse. Male sex and some regions were also associated with TTE underuse. Age and regions were associated with overuse of stress imaging. Male sex, age, and some regions were associated with stress imaging underuse. Adherence to pre-operative stress imaging recommendation was high. In contrast, adherence to TTE recommendations was moderate. Both patients' and geographical factors affected adherence to joint ESC/ESA guidelines. NCT03016936.

Role of Preoperative Cardiac Stress Testing in Patients with Chronic Limb Threatening Ischemia

Role of Preoperative Cardiac Stress Testing in Patients with Chronic Limb Threatening Ischemia

Ambulatory Cardiology or General Internal Medicine Assessment Prior to Scheduled Major Vascular Surgery is Associated with Improved Outcomes.

To characterize the association between ambulatory cardiology or general internal medicine (GIM) assessment prior to surgery and outcomes following scheduled major vascular surgery. Cardiovascular risk assessment and management prior to high-risk surgery remains an evolving area of care. This is population-based retrospective cohort study of all adults who underwent scheduled major vascular surgery in Ontario, Canada, April 1, 2004-March 31, 2019. Patients who had an ambulatory cardiology and/or GIM assessment within 6 months prior to surgery were compared to those who did not. The primary outcome was 30-day mortality. Secondary outcomes included: composite of 30-day mortality, myocardial infarction or stroke; 30-day cardiovascular death; 1-year mortality; composite of 1-year mortality, myocardial infarction or stroke; and 1-year cardiovascular death. Cox proportional hazard regression using inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) was used to mitigate confounding by indication. Among 50,228 patients, 20,484 (40.8%) underwent an ambulatory assessment prior to surgery: 11,074 (54.1%) with cardiology, 8,071 (39.4%) with GIM and 1,339 (6.5%) with both. Compared to patients who did not, those who underwent an assessment had a higher Revised Cardiac Risk Index (N with Index over 2= 4,989[24.4%] vs. 4,587[15.4%], P<0.001) and more frequent pre-operative cardiac testing (N=7,772[37.9%] vs. 6,113[20.6%], P<0.001) but, lower 30-day mortality (N=551[2.7%] vs. 970[3.3%], P<0.001). After application of IPTW, cardiology or GIM assessment prior to surgery remained associated with a lower 30-day mortality (weighted Hazard Ratio [95%CI] = 0.73 [0.65-0.82]) and a lower rate of all secondary outcomes. Major vascular surgery patients assessed by a cardiology or GIM physician prior to surgery have better outcomes than those who are not. Further research is needed to better understand potential mechanisms of benefit.

Abstract 14618: Comparative Outcomes of Elective Endovascular Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair in Patients With Preoperative Cardiac Stress Testing

Introduction: The use of cardiac stress testing (CST) before endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm (EVAR) repair is controversial. While prior research has explored the utility of CST before EVAR, EVAR outcomes in patients with different CST results have not been studied. The objective of this study is to evaluate EVAR outcomes in patients with abnormal CST. Hypothesis: Patients with abnormal CST before EVAR have inferior outcomes compared to patients with normal CST. Methods: The Vascular Quality Initiative (VQI) database for EVAR was reviewed. Patients who underwent CST prior to elective EVAR were included. In VQI, abnormal CST is defined as having ischemia, infarction, or both ischemia and infarction (BII). Outcomes of patients with normal and abnormal CST were compared, including a subgroup analysis of CST abnormalities. Results: A total of 19,964 patients were included and 23.7% (4,723) had abnormal CST. Patients with abnormal CST were more commonly males with comorbidities. Patients with abnormal CST had significantly more perioperative complications including MACE and one-year mortality compared to patients with normal CST. ( Table ) Regression analysis revealed that abnormal CST was independently associated with increased perioperative MACE (OR=1.59 [1.28-1.97]) and one-year mortality (HR=1.11 [1.00-1.23]). Subgroup analysis of patients with abnormal CST showed that patients with BII had significantly more perioperative MACE (6.8% vs 4.1%, P =0.002) and mortality (1.1% vs 0.4%, P =0.040) compared to patients with either ischemia or infarction. BII was independently associated with MACE (OR=1.62 [1.06-2.41]) and 30-day mortality (OR=3.28 [1.21-8.16]) compared to either abnormality. Conclusions: Patients with abnormal CST have worse outcomes after elective EVAR compared to patients with normal CST, particularly patients with BII. CST is a useful tool for perioperative and long-term risk stratification in patients undergoing elective EVAR.

The effects of a multidisciplinary pathway for perioperative management of patients with hip fracture

ABSTRACT Objectives To determine if a multidisciplinary pathway focused on non-opioid pain management, delirium assessment, and resource utilization improved outcomes in geriatric hip fracture patients. The goal was to reduce opioid usage, consultation not congruent with guidelines, and increase use of regional anesthesia to reduce delirium and improve outcomes. Methods An observational study was performed on hip fracture patients before and after the intervention. Hospitalists were educated on indications for preoperative cardiac consultation and specialized preoperative cardiac testing according to evidence-based guidelines with the inpatient cardiology service. Additional education on multimodal analgesia, limiting opioids, and peripheral nerve blocks was provided by the acute pain service. Pre-intervention outcomes from 1 July 20171 July 2017 to 31 May 201831 May 2018 (N = 92) were compared to post-intervention outcomes from 1 July 20181 July 2018 to 31 May 201931 May 2019 (N = 98) and included delirium, length of stay, 30-day readmission rate, time from arrival to procedure start time, time to first physical therapy session, and completion of cardiology consult time. We examined adherence, use of nerve blocks, and pre- and post-operative pain scores and opioid use. Results Delirium was reduced from 50.0% (N = 46/92) to 28.6% (N = 28/98); p = 0.002. Postoperative opioid use (IV morphine milligram equivalents) decreased from an average of 57.2 mg (±67.7) to 42.6 mg (±58.2),P < .0001. There was a significant decrease in mean pre-operative (5.4 ± 4.14 to 5.05 ± 2.8, P < .0001) and post-operative pain scores (4.3 ± 5.2 to 3.2 ± 2.2, P < .0001). There was a significant reduction in time to cardiology consultation from 18 h] to 12 h ; p < .001). Conclusions A multidisciplinary collaboration between hospitalists, anesthesiologists, and cardiologists for hip fracture patients was associated with a reduction in pain and delirium and time to cardiologist evaluation. Prospective studies focusing on additional patient-centered outcomes are warranted.

Consequences of preoperative cardiac stress testing—A cohort study

ObjectiveTo understand the consequences of functional cardiac stress testing among patients considering noncardiac nonophthalmologic surgery. DesignA retrospective cohort study of 118,552 patients who made 159,795 visits to a dedicated preoperative risk assessment and optimization clinic between 2008 and 2018. SettingA large integrated health system. PatientsPatients who visited a dedicated preoperative risk assessment and optimization clinic before noncardiac nonophthalmologic surgery. MeasurementsTo assess changes to care delivered, we measured the probability of completing additional cardiac testing, cardiac surgery, or noncardiac surgery. To assess outcomes, we measured time-to-mortality and total one-year mortality. Main resultsIn causal inference models, preoperative stress testing was associated with increased likelihood of coronary angiography (relative risk: 8.6, 95% CI 6.1–12.1), increased likelihood of percutaneous coronary intervention (RR: 4.1, 95% CI: 1.8–9.2), increased likelihood of cardiac surgery (RR: 6.8, 95% CI 4.9–9.4), decreased likelihood of noncardiac surgery (RR: 0.77, 95% CI 0.75–0.79), and delayed noncardiac surgery for patients completing noncardiac surgery (mean 28.3 days, 95% CI: 23.1–33.6). The base rate of downstream cardiac testing was low, and absolute risk increases were small. Stress testing was associated with higher mortality in unadjusted analysis but was not associated with mortality in causal inference analyses. ConclusionsPreoperative cardiac stress testing likely induces coronary angiography and cardiac interventions while decreasing use of noncardiac surgery and delaying surgery for patients who ultimately proceed to noncardiac surgery. Despite changes to processes of care, our results do not support a causal relationship between stress testing and postoperative mortality. Analyses of care cascades should consider care that is avoided or substituted in addition to care that is induced.

Correction to "Low-value preoperative cardiac testing before low-risk surgical procedures: a population-based cohort study".

Correction to "Low-value preoperative cardiac testing before low-risk surgical procedures: a population-based cohort study".

Positive Preoperative Cardiac Stress Test Associated With Higher Late Mortality in Patients Undergoing Elective Carotid Endarterectomy

Positive Preoperative Cardiac Stress Test Associated With Higher Late Mortality in Patients Undergoing Elective Carotid Endarterectomy

Low-value preoperative cardiac testing before low-risk surgical procedures: a population-based cohort study.

Choosing Wisely Canada (CWC) recommends avoiding noninvasive advanced cardiac testing (e.g., exercise stress testing [EST], echocardiography and myocardial perfusion imaging [MPI]) for preoperative assessment in patients scheduled to undergo low-risk noncardiac surgery. In this study, we assessed the temporal trends in testing, overlapping with the introduction of the CWC recommendations in 2014, and patient and provider factors associated with low-value testing. In this population-based retrospective cohort study, we used linked health administrative data in Alberta, Canada, to identify adult patients who underwent elective noncardiac surgery between Apr. 1, 2011, and Mar. 31, 2019, who had preoperative noninvasive advanced cardiac tests (EST, echocardiography or MPI) within 6 months before surgery. We included electrocardiography as an exploratory outcome. We excluded patients at high risk using the Revised Cardiac Risk Index (score ≥ 1 considered to indicate high risk), and modelled patient and temporal factors associated with the number of tests. We identified 1 045 896 elective noncardiac operations performed in 798 599 patients and 25 599 advanced preoperative cardiac tests; 2.1% of operations were preceded by advanced cardiac testing. The incidence of testing increased over the study period, and, by 2018/19, patients were 1.3 times (95% confidence interval 1.2-1.4) more likely to receive a preoperative advanced test compared to 2011/12. Urban patients were more likely to receive a preoperative advanced cardiac test than their rural counterparts. Electrocardiography was the most common preoperative cardiac test, preceding 182 128 procedures (17.4%). Preoperative advanced cardiac testing was infrequent in adult Albertans who underwent low-risk elective noncardiac operations. Despite CWC recommendations, the use of some tests appears to be increasing, and there was substantial variation across geographic areas.

Correction to "Low-value preoperative cardiac testing before low-risk surgical procedures: a population-based cohort study".

Correction to "Low-value preoperative cardiac testing before low-risk surgical procedures: a population-based cohort study".

Association of Preoperative Medical Consultation With Reduction in Adverse Postoperative Outcomes and Use of Processes of Care Among Residents of Ontario, Canada

It is uncertain whether preoperative medical consultation reduces adverse postoperative clinical outcomes. To investigate the association of preoperative medical consultation with reduction in adverse postoperative outcomes and use of processes of care. This was a retrospective cohort study using linked administrative databases from an independent research institute housing routinely collected health data for Ontario's 14 million residents, including sociodemographic features, physician characteristics and services, and receipt of inpatient and outpatient care. The study sample included Ontario residents aged 40 years or older who underwent their first qualifying intermediate- to high-risk noncardiac operation. Propensity score matching was used to adjust for differences between patients who did and did not undergo preoperative medical consultation with discharge dates between April 1, 2005, and March 31, 2018. The data were analyzed from December 20, 2021, to May 15, 2022. Receipt of preoperative medical consultation in the 4 months preceding the index surgery. The primary outcome was 30-day all-cause postoperative mortality. Secondary outcomes included 1-year mortality, inpatient myocardial infarction and stroke, in-hospital mechanical ventilation, length of stay, and 30-day health system costs. Of the total 530 473 individuals (mean [SD] age, 67.1 [10.6] years; 278 903 [52.6%] female) included in the study, 186 299 (35.1%) received preoperative medical consultation. Propensity score matching resulted in 179 809 well-matched pairs (67.8% of the full cohort). The 30-day mortality rate was 0.9% (n = 1534) in the consultation group and 0.7% (n = 1299) in the control group (odds ratio [OR], 1.19; 95% CI, 1.11-1.29). The ORs for 1 year mortality (OR, 1.15; 95% CI, 1.11-1.19), inpatient stroke (OR, 1.21; 95% CI, 1.06-1.37), in-hospital mechanical ventilation (OR, 1.38; 95% CI, 1.31-1.45), and 30-day emergency department visits (OR, 1.07; 95% CI, 1.05-1.09) were higher in the consultation group; however, the rates of inpatient myocardial infarction did not differ. The lengths of stay in acute care were a mean (SD) 6.0 (9.3) days in the consultation group and 5.6 (10.0) days in the control group (difference, 0.4 [95% CI, 0.3-0.5] days), and the median (IQR) total 30-day health system cost was CAD $317 ($229-$959) (US $235 [$170-$711]) higher in the consultation group. Preoperative medical consultation was associated with increased use of preoperative echocardiography (OR, 2.64; 95% CI, 2.59-2.69) and cardiac stress tests (OR, 2.50; 95% CI, 2.43-2.56) and higher odds of receiving a new prescription for β-blockers (OR, 2.96; 95% CI, 2.82-3.12). In this cohort study, preoperative medical consultation was not associated with a reduction but rather with an increase in adverse postoperative outcomes, suggesting a need for further refinement of target populations, processes, and interventions related to preoperative medical consultation. These findings highlight the need for further research and suggest that referral for preoperative medical consultation and subsequent testing should be carefully guided by individual-level consideration of risks and benefits.

Outcomes of Liver Transplantation in Patients With Preexisting Coronary Artery Disease.

Advances in surgical and medical technology over the years has made liver transplantation possible for older and higher risk patients. Despite rigorous preoperative cardiac testing, cardiovascular events remain a major cause of death after orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT). However, there are little data on the outcomes of OLT in patients with preexisting coronary artery disease (CAD). This study aimed to compare all-cause and cardiovascular mortality of patients with and without history of CAD undergoing OLT. Six hundred ninety-three adult patients with cirrhosis underwent liver transplantation between July 2013 and December 2018 (female n = 243, male n = 450; median age 59). During the study period of 5 y (median follow-up, 24.1 mo), 92 of 693 patients (13.3%) died. All-cause mortality in the CAD group was significantly higher than in the non-CAD group (26.7% versus 9.6%; P <0.01). Cardiovascular events accounted for 52.5% of deaths (n = 21) in patients with CAD compared with 36.5% (n = 19) in non-CAD patients. At 6 mo, patients with combined nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH)/CAD had significantly worse survival than those with CAD or NASH alone ( P <0.01). After 6 mo, patients with CAD alone had similar survival to those with combined NASH/CAD. Patients with preexisting CAD before liver transplantation are at higher risk of death from any cause, specifically cardiovascular-related death. This risk increases with coexisting NASH. The presence of NASH and CAD at the time of liver transplant should prompt the initiation of aggressive risk factor modification for patients with CAD.

Abstract 12636: Association Between Pre-Operative Specialist Assessment and Adverse Outcomes Among Patients Scheduled for Major Vascular Surgery

Background: The impact of pre-operative specialist assessment on outcomes following high-risk vascular surgery remains uncertain. Our objective was to characterize the association between pre-operative cardiology or general internal medicine (GIM) assessment and post-operative outcomes following scheduled major vascular surgery. Methods: This is a population-based cohort study of all adult scheduled major vascular surgery patients in Ontario, Canada (April 1, 2004-March 31, 2019). Those who underwent an ambulatory cardiology and/or GIM assessment within 6 months prior to surgery were compared to those who did not. The primary outcome was 30-day mortality. Secondary outcomes included 30-day mortality, myocardial infarction or stroke; 30-day cardiovascular death; 1-year mortality; 1-year mortality, myocardial infarction or stroke; and 1-year cardiovascular death. Multivariable cox proportional hazard regression using inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) was used to mitigate confounding by indication. Results: Among 50,228 scheduled major vascular surgery patients, 20,484 underwent pre-operative ambulatory specialist assessment: 11,074 (54.1%) with cardiology, 8,071 (39.4%) with GIM and 1,339 (6.5%) with both. Patients who underwent cardiology or GIM assessment had a higher Revised Cardiac Risk Index (N with Index over 2= 4,989 [24.4%] vs. 4,587 [15.4%], p&lt;0.001) and more frequent pre-operative cardiac testing (N=7,772 [37.9%] vs. 6,113 [20.6%], p&lt;0.001) but had lower crude 30-day mortality (N=551 [2.7%] vs. 970 [3.3%], p&lt;0.001). After application of IPTW, pre-operative specialist assessment remained associated with a lower rate of 30-day mortality (Hazard Ratio [95%CI] = 0.73 [0.65-0.82]) and a lower rate of all secondary outcomes (Figure). Conclusion: Pre-operative ambulatory cardiology or GIM assessment is associated with improved outcomes following scheduled major vascular surgery

Frequency and Predictors of Preoperative Cardiac Testing Overuse in Low-Risk Patients Before Laparoscopic Bariatric Surgery

Adverse cardiac events after laparoscopic bariatric surgery are rare, yet preoperative cardiology evaluation and testing remain common, resulting in the overuse of cardiac testing in low-risk patients. Our objective was to assess the frequency of, and factors associated with, overuse of preoperative cardiac testing in patients at low cardiac risk before laparoscopic bariatric surgery. We retrospectively reviewed data from 1,094 adult patients who underwent laparoscopic bariatric surgery at our institution from January 1, 2015, through December 31, 2019. The cardiac risk was determined using the Revised Cardiac Risk Index (RCRI) and the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program Myocardial Infarction and Cardiac Arrest (NSQIP MICA) risk model. Multivariate logistic regression was used to evaluate risk factors associated with the overuse of cardiac testing in low-risk patients. Overall, 1,059 patients (96.8%) were estimated to be at low cardiac risk by the RCRI, and 1,094 (100%) were at low cardiac risk by NSQIP MICA. A total of 587 patients (51.8%) were referred to cardiology for preoperative evaluation, and 643 patients (56.7%) underwent one or more preoperative cardiac tests. Factors associated with overuse of preoperative cardiac testing in low-risk patients included preoperative cardiology referral (adjusted odds ratio 37.2, 95% confidence interval 25.3 to 54.7) and patient age (adjusted odds ratio 1.05, 95% confidence interval 1.03 to 1.07). Overuse of preoperative cardiac testing was common in patients at low cardiac risk before laparoscopic bariatric surgery. Preoperative referral to cardiology was the most significant risk factor associated with the overuse of preoperative cardiac testing. Application of risk models such as the RCRI or NSQIP MICA at the time of bariatric program enrollment may reduce unnecessary preoperative cardiac testing in low-risk patients.

Impact of Racial Disparities in Preoperative Cardiovascular Evaluation and Surgical Outcomes in Patients Undergoing Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery: A Retrospective Cohort Analysis.

BackgroundWe investigated preoperative referral patterns, rates of cardiovascular testing, surgical wait times, and postoperative outcomes in White versus Black, Hispanic, or other racial or ethnic groups of patients undergoing metabolic and bariatric surgery.Methods and ResultsThis was a single center retrospective cohort analysis of 797 consecutive patients undergoing metabolic and bariatric surgery from January 2014 to December 2018; 86% (n=682) were Black, Hispanic, or other racial or ethnic groups. White versus Black, Hispanic, or other racial or ethnic groups had similar baseline comorbidities and were referred for preoperative cardiovascular evaluation in similar proportion (65% versus 68%, P=0.529). Black, Hispanic, or other racial or ethnic groups of patients were less likely to undergo preoperative cardiovascular testing (unadjusted odds ratio [OR], 0.56; 95% CI, 0.33–0.95; P=0.031; adjusted for Revised Cardiac Risk Index OR, 0.59; 95% CI, 0.35–0.996; P=0.049). White patients had a shorter wait time for surgery (unadjusted hazard ratio [HR], 0.7; 95% CI, 0.58–0.87; P=0.001; adjusted HR, 0.7; 95% CI, 0.56–0.95; P=0.018). Reduction in body mass index at 6 months was greater in White patients (12.9 kg/m2 versus 12.0 kg/m2, P=0.0289), but equivalent at 1 year (14.9 kg/m2 versus 14.3 kg/m2, P=0.330).ConclusionsWhite versus Black, Hispanic, or other racial or ethnic groups of patients were referred for preoperative cardiovascular evaluation in similar proportion. White patients underwent more preoperative cardiac testing yet had a shorter wait time for surgery. Early weight loss was greater in White patients, but equivalent between groups at 12 months.

Postoperative Major Adverse Cardiac Events in Patients With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

ObjectivesPatients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) have a high risk of cardiovascular disease that could potentially increase postoperative major adverse cardiac events (MACE). We determined the rate of MACE in patients with SLE undergoing noncardiac surgery using national claims‐based data.MethodsThis was a retrospective cohort study using Optum Clinformatics Data Mart from 2007 to 2020. We identified a cohort of patients with SLE who had undergone noncardiac surgeries using Current Procedural Terminology codes. We also identified two control cohorts without SLE, one with diabetes mellitus (DM) and one without DM. After matching cases and controls by age and sex, the odds of MACE were estimated using multivariable logistic regression models also including race and the Revised Cardiac Risk Index (RCRI) scores. We also examined use of preoperative cardiac testing.ResultsWe identified 4750 patients with SLE, 496,381 DM controls, and 1,484,986 non‐DM controls. After matching, the odds ratio (OR) for MACE in patients with SLE versus non‐DM controls was 1.51 (95% confidence interval 1.09‐2.08), which decreased after adjustment for RCRI score (OR: 0.97, 95% confidence interval 0.7‐1.36). No significant differences were observed in the incidence of MACE between patients with SLE and DM controls (0.82 vs 1.04, P = 0.16). High‐risk patients with SLE (RCRI score of ≥3) were less likely to receive preoperative cardiac testing than non‐DM controls (42.7% vs 35.1%, P < 0.05).ConclusionPatients with SLE have an increased risk of postoperative MACE, which is driven by increased RCRI scores. Concerningly, high‐risk patients received less cardiac testing 2 months before surgery than non‐DM controls.

Abstract 9608: Overuse of Cardiac Evaluation and Testing in Patients at Low Cardiac Risk Prior to Laparoscopic Bariatric Surgery

Introduction: Preoperative cardiac testing is common prior to bariatric surgery despite the low incidence of postoperative cardiac events. We sought to determine what proportion of patients who underwent preoperative cardiac testing and evaluation prior to laparoscopic bariatric surgery were at low cardiac risk. Methods: We reviewed preoperative cardiac testing and evaluations performed for patients undergoing laparoscopic bariatric surgery at Hershey Medical Center from January 1 st 2015 through December 31 st 2019. Cardiac risk was evaluated using the Revised Cardiac Risk Index (RCRI) and the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program Myocardial Infarction and Cardiac Arrest risk calculator (NSQIP MICA). Patients with a RCRI score ≤1, or a NSQIP MICA cardiac risk estimate less than 1%, were considered to be at low cardiac risk. Results: 1,134 patients underwent laparoscopic bariatric surgery during the study time period, of which 1,093 (96.4%) were low cardiac risk by RCRI and 1,133 (99.9%) were low cardiac risk by NSQIP MICA. 587 patients (51.8%) were referred to cardiology for preoperative evaluation. 643 patients (56.7%) underwent one or more preoperative cardiac tests (see figure for breakdown of cardiac risk for each cardiac evaluation). Out of 1,134 patients, 1 (0.1%) had myocardial infarction within 30 days of surgery. There were 0 patients with either cardiac arrest or death within 30 days of surgery. Conclusions: A large majority of patients undergoing cardiac evaluation and testing prior to laparoscopic bariatric surgery were at low cardiac risk, regardless of whether cardiac risk was assessed by the RCRI or by the NSQIP MICA. Preoperative cardiac testing and evaluation were common despite excellent cardiac outcomes. Use of tools such as the RCRI or NSQIP MICA to identify patients at low cardiac risk at the time of bariatric enrollment may help to reduce the overuse of preoperative cardiac evaluation and testing in low risk patients.

Cardiac risk assessment with the Revised Cardiac Risk Index index before elective non-cardiac surgery: A retrospective audit from an Australian tertiary hospital.

Clinicians assessing cardiac risk as part of a comprehensive consultation before surgery can use an expanding set of tools, including predictive risk calculators, cardiac stress tests and measuring serum natriuretic peptides. The optimal assessment strategy is unclear, with conflicting international guidelines. We investigated the prognostic accuracy of the Revised Cardiac Risk Index for risk stratification and cardiac outcomes in patients undergoing elective non-cardiac surgery in a contemporary Australian cohort. We audited the records for 1465 consecutive patients 45 years and older presenting to the perioperative clinic for elective non-cardiac surgery in our tertiary hospital. We calculated individual Revised Cardiac Risk Index scores and documented any use of preoperative cardiac tests. The primary outcome was any major adverse cardiac events within 30 days of surgery, including myocardial infarction, pulmonary oedema, complete heart block or cardiac death. Myocardial perfusion imaging was the most common preoperative stress test (4.2%, 61/1465). There was no routine investigation of natriuretic peptide levels for cardiac risk assessment before surgery. Major adverse cardiac events occurred in 1.3% (18/1366) of patients who had surgery. The Revised Cardiac Risk Index score had modest prognostic accuracy for major cardiac complications, area under receiver operator curve 0.73, 95% confidence interval 0.60 to 0.86. Stratifying major adverse cardiac events by the Revised Cardiac Risk Index scores 0, 1, 2 and 3 or greater corresponded to event rates of 0.6% (4/683), 0.8% (4/488), 4.1% (6/145) and 8.0% (4/50), respectively. The Revised Cardiac Risk Index had only modest predictive value in our single-centre experience. Patients with a revised cardiac risk index score of 2 or more had an elevated risk of early cardiac complications after elective non-cardiac surgery.

Adherence to the European Society of Cardiology/European Society of Anaesthesiology recommendations on preoperative cardiac testing and association with positive results and cardiac events: a cohort study

BackgroundEuropean Society of Cardiology/European Society of Anaesthesiology (ESC/ESA) guidelines inform cardiac workup before noncardiac surgery based on an algorithm. Our primary hypotheses were that there would be associations between (i) the groups stratified according to the algorithms and major adverse cardiac events (MACE), and (ii) over- and underuse of cardiac testing and MACE. MethodsThis is a secondary analysis of a multicentre prospective cohort. Major adverse cardiac events were a composite of cardiac death, myocardial infarction, acute heart failure, and life-threatening arrhythmia at 30 days. For each cardiac test, pathological findings were defined a priori. We used multivariable logistic regression to measure associations. ResultsWe registered 359 MACE at 30 days amongst 6976 patients; classification in a higher-risk group using the ESC/ESA algorithm was associated with 30-day MACE; however, discrimination of the ESC/ESA algorithms for 30-day MACE was modest; area under the curve 0.64 (95% confidence interval: 0.61–0.67). After adjustment for sex, age, and ASA physical status, discrimination was 0.72 (0.70–0.75). Overuse or underuse of cardiac tests were not consistently associated with MACE. There was no independent association between test recommendation class and pathological findings (P=0.14 for stress imaging; P=0.35 for transthoracic echocardiography; P=0.52 for coronary angiography). ConclusionsDiscrimination for MACE using the ESC/ESA guidelines algorithms was limited. Overuse or underuse of cardiac tests was not consistently associated with cardiovascular events. The recommendation class of preoperative cardiac tests did not influence their yield. Clinical trial registrationNCT02573532.