Peri-operative cardiac biomarker screening: a narrative review

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Peri-operative Medicine
• Risk Stratification

Background:

• Traditional peri-operative risk estimation relies on pre-operative functional assessment.
• Current guidelines recommend functional assessment for predicting postoperative complications.
• Emerging evidence highlights limitations of functional assessment alone.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review evidence supporting cardiac biomarker use in peri-operative risk estimation.
• To compare cardiac biomarkers with traditional functional assessment methods.
• To identify patient groups benefiting from cardiac biomarker screening and discuss management protocols.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of contemporary evidence on cardiac biomarker utility.
• Comparative analysis of predictive accuracy between biomarker and functional assessments.
• Discussion of clinical protocols for screening and management.

Main Results:

• Cardiac biomarker measurement demonstrates superior predictive discrimination for peri-operative events.
• Biomarker assessment incorporates the postoperative course, offering a more comprehensive risk profile.
• Evidence supports expanded use of biomarkers in specific patient populations.

Conclusions:

• Cardiac biomarkers represent a significant advancement over traditional functional assessments for peri-operative risk stratification.
• Implementation of biomarker screening protocols can optimize patient management and improve outcomes.
• Further research should focus on refining screening criteria and management strategies.