Impact of 6% balanced hydroxyethyl starch following cardiopulmonary bypass on renal function: a retrospective study

We aimed to evaluate the effect of limited volume of hydroxyethyl starch (HES) administration on postoperative renal function in patients undergoing cardiac surgery under cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB).

One thousand six hundred fifty-seven patients undergoing cardiac surgery under CPB over two years were included. The patients were divided according to the amount of HES administrated during the first 2 days post-surgery; moderate dose HES (≥20 ml/kg) versus low dose HES (< 20 ml/kg). Outcomes were compared by using inverse probability weighting.

Incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) was higher in the moderate HES group (p = .02). However, new renal replacement therapy (RRT) (P = .30) and early mortality (p = .97) was similar between the groups. When adjusted, the moderate HES use was associated with AKI (OR, 1.66; 95% CI, 1.12-2.44; p = .01), but did not increase the risk of new RRT (OR, 1.27; 95% CI, 0.71-2.18; p = .40) or early mortality (HR, 0.73; 95% CI, 0.29-1.81; p = .50).

The moderate dose administration of HES (≥20 ml/kg) in the postoperative period following cardiac surgery might be associated with the risk of AKI. However, it was not associated with serious adverse outcomes such as new RRT or mortality. Further randomized controlled studies are needed to validate study results.