MMPI profile predictors for successful and expired open heart surgery patients

A total of 31 patients (17 females, 14 males) who were scheduled for open heart surgery were administered an MMPI within 1 week prior to surgery. Of the 31 patients, 20 (13 females, 7 males) survived and 11 (4 females and 7 males) did not survive the operation. MMPI scale T-score comparisons were made within sex between survivors and nonsurvivors. Surviving and expired males did not differ on any MMPI scales, while expired females had much higher average scale 1 and 3 elevations than did their surviving counterparts (p less than .05). Subsequent comparisons of expired and surviving female patients with 1-3 profiles revealed that females with 1-3 profiles who expired had a higher average L scale T-score and a lower average scale 6 T-score (p less than .05). Cutting scores established to divide 1-3 female profiles into success and expired groups yielded two results: (1) an L scale T-score of 50 or above identified 100% of the expired females while it generated 40% false positives and no false negatives; and (2) a scale 6 T-score of 57 and below identified 100% of the expired females while it generated no false negatives and no false positives. These results are consistent with previous research and may be used to predict mortality for prospective female open heart surgery patients with implications for psychotherapeutic assistance prior to surgery to increase prospects for success.