Effect of delta carbon dioxide and lactate on prognosis in patients undergoing open-heart surgery

To identify individuals with an increased mortality and morbidity risk after surgery, different parameters showing impaired tissue perfusion/oxygenation have been investigated, and the balance between tissue oxygen consumption and oxygen delivery has been evaluated in detecting organ failure.

This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of central venous--arterial partial carbon dioxide difference (ΔPCO₂) and lactate (ΔLAC) values within the first week after discharge in predicting mortality in patients undergoing open-heart surgery.

A total of 102 patients between February and April 2020 were included in the study. The patients' data obtained at the end of cardiopulmonary bypass (hour 0) and during the intensive care follow-up (hour 1, hours 6, and 24) data were prospectively recorded. All statistical analyses were performed using SPSS v. 22.0 for Windows (SPSS Inc, Chicago, IL, USA).

The mean age of the patients was 56.88 ± 11.02 (min 18-max 78) years, and 71.6% of the patients were male. It was observed that the area under the curve was not significant for the four measurements performed for ΔLAC. Although the area under the curve of ΔPCO₂ measured at hour 6 (0.66) was significant.

The ΔPCO₂ were found to have a poor ability to predict the development of complications during the intensive care and early postoperative period in patients undergoing open-heart surgery.