Cardiac risk stratification in emergency resection for colonic tumours

Despite advances in perioperative care, the postoperative mortality rate after emergency oncological colonic resection remains high. Risk stratification may allow targeted perioperative optimization and cardiac risk stratification. This study aimed to test the hypothesis that the Revised Cardiac Risk Index (RCRI), a user-friendly tool, could identify patients who would benefit most from perioperative cardiac risk mitigation.

Patients who underwent emergency resection for colonic cancer from 2007 to 2017 and registered in the Swedish Colorectal Cancer Registry (SCRCR) were analysed retrospectively. These patients were cross-referenced by social security number to the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare data set, a government registry of mortality, and co-morbidity data. RCRI scores were calculated for each patient and correlated with 90-day postoperative mortality risk, using Poisson regression with robust error of variance.

Some 5703 patients met the study inclusion criteria. A linear increase in crude 90-day postoperative mortality was detected with increasing RCRI score (37.3 versus 11.3 per cent for RCRI 4 or more versus RCRI 1; P < 0.001). The adjusted 90-day all-cause mortality risk was also significantly increased (RCRI 4 or more versus RCRI 1: adjusted incidence rate ratio 2.07, 95 per cent c.i. 1.49 to 2.89; P < 0.001).

This study documented an association between increasing cardiac risk and 90-day postoperative mortality. Those undergoing emergency colorectal surgery for cancer with a raised RCRI score should be considered high-risk patients who would most likely benefit from enhanced postoperative monitoring and critical care expertise.