Surgical adverse outcomes in patients with schizophrenia: a population-based study

To validate the global features of postoperative adverse outcomes for surgical patients with schizophrenia.

Patients with schizophrenia were known to have a higher risk of complications during hospitalization. Quality of care has become the key factor in reducing their potential mortality afterwards.

We present a population-based study of 8967 schizophrenic patients receiving major surgery from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database within the years 2004 and 2007 compared with 35,868 surgical patients without mental disorders. Eight major postoperative complications and mortality after complications were evaluated among schizophrenic patients with different severity.

Schizophrenic patients had significantly higher risk for postoperative complications, including acute renal failure, pneumonia, bleeding, septicemia, stroke, and 30-day postoperative mortality (adjusted OR = 2.70; 95% CI: 2.08-3.49), than surgical patients without mental disorders. Among surgical patients with 1 to 2, 3 to 18, 19 to 48, and more than 49 schizophrenia-related outpatient visits within 24-month period preoperatively, the adjusted ORs of 30-day mortality ranged from 1.95 (95% CI: 1.25-3.02) to 3.97 (95% CI: 2.66-5.92) in a frequency-dependent pattern when compared with controls. When compared with surgical patients with schizophrenia-related outpatient services only, OR of 30-day postoperative mortality increased from 2.54 (95% CI: 1.93-3.34) to 3.69 (95% CI: 2.25-6.03) in surgical patients with preoperative hospitalization or emergency visit because of schizophrenia.

Surgical patients with schizophrenia showed significantly higher postoperative adverse outcome rates with risk of 30-day mortality nearly threefold when compared with patients without mental disorders. Our findings suggest the urgency revising the protocol of postoperative care for this specific population.