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Predictors of stroke in patients undergoing cardiac surgery
Handerson Nunes dos Santos1, Ellen Hettwer Magedanz1, João Carlos Vieira da Costa Guaragna1
1Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
Insights
Older age, emergency surgery, and pre-existing conditions like atrial fibrillation increase stroke risk after cardiac surgery. Identifying these factors is crucial for patient outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Surgery
- Neurology
- Public Health
Background:
- Cardiac surgery is associated with a risk of postoperative stroke.
- Identifying modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors is essential for improving patient safety and outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the risk factors associated with the development of stroke in patients undergoing cardiac surgery.
- To provide data that can inform preventative strategies and patient selection.
Main Methods:
- A historical cohort study involving 4626 adult patients undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery, heart valve replacement, or combined procedures between 1996 and 2011.
- Logistic regression analysis was employed to assess the relationship between various potential risk predictors and the incidence of stroke.
Main Results:
- The overall incidence of stroke was 3%.
- Significant risk predictors for stroke included advanced age (50-65 and >66 years), urgent/emergency surgery, aortic valve disease, history of atrial fibrillation, peripheral artery disease, history of cerebrovascular disease, and cardiopulmonary bypass time exceeding 110 minutes.
- Mortality was substantially higher in the stroke group (31.9%) compared to the control group (8.5%).
Conclusions:
- Key risk factors for stroke after cardiac surgery have been identified.
- These include patient demographics (age), surgical urgency, specific cardiac conditions (aortic valve disease, atrial fibrillation), comorbidities (peripheral artery disease, cerebrovascular disease), and procedural duration (cardiopulmonary bypass time).
- These findings underscore the importance of comprehensive risk assessment and management in cardiac surgery patients.
Objective:
To determine the risk factors related to the development of stroke in patients undergoing cardiac surgery.
Methods:
A historical cohort study. We included 4626 patients aged > 18 years who underwent coronary artery bypass surgery, heart valve replacement surgery alone or heart valve surgery combined with coronary artery bypass grafting between January 1996 and December 2011. The relationship between risk predictors and stroke was assessed by logistic regression model with a significance level of 0.05.
Results:
The incidence of stroke was 3% in the overall sample. After logistic regression, the following risk predictors for stroke were found: age 50-65 years (OR=2.11 - 95% CI 1.05-4.23 - P=0.036) and age >66 years (OR=3.22 - 95% CI 1.6-6.47 - P=0.001), urgent and emergency surgery (OR=2.03 - 95% CI 1.20-3.45 - P=0.008), aortic valve disease (OR=2.32 - 95% CI 1.18-4.56 - P=0.014), history of atrial fibrillation (OR=1.88 - 95% CI 1.05-3.34 - P=0.032), peripheral artery disease (OR=1.81 - 95% CI 1.13-2.92 - P=0.014), history of cerebrovascular disease (OR=3.42 - 95% CI 2.19-5.35 - P<0.001) and cardiopulmonary bypass time > 110 minutes (OR=1.71 - 95% CI 1.16-2.53 - P=0.007). Mortality was 31.9% in the stroke group and 8.5% in the control group (OR=5.06 - 95% CI 3.5-7.33 - P<0.001).
Conclusion:
The study identified the following risk predictors for stroke after cardiac surgery: age, urgent and emergency surgery, aortic valve disease, history of atrial fibrillation, peripheral artery disease, history of cerebrovascular disease and cardiopulmonary bypass time > 110 minutes.
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