Influenza Season and Outcome After Elective Cardiac Surgery: An Observational Cohort Study

An asymptomatic respiratory viral infection during cardiac surgery could lead to pulmonary complications and increased mortality. For elective surgery, testing for respiratory viral infection before surgery or vaccination could reduce the number of these pulmonary complications. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between influenzalike illness (ILI) seasons and prolonged mechanical ventilation and inhospital mortality in a Dutch cohort of adult elective cardiac surgery patients.

Cardiac surgery patients who were admitted to the intensive care unit between January 1, 2014, and February 1, 2020, were included. The primary endpoint was the duration of invasive mechanical ventilation in the ILI season compared with baseline season. Secondary endpoints were the median Pao₂ to fraction of inspired oxygen ratio on days 1, 3, and 7 and postoperative inhospital mortality.

A total of 42,277 patients underwent cardiac surgery, 12,994 (30.7%) in the ILI season, 15,843 (37.5%) in the intermediate season, and 13,440 (31.8%) in the baseline season. No hazard rates indicative of a longer duration of invasive mechanical ventilation during the ILI season were found. No differences were found for the median Pao₂ to fraction of inspired oxygen ratio between seasons. However, inhospital mortality was higher in the ILI season compared with baseline season (odds ratio 1.67; 95% CI, 1.14-2.46).

Patients undergoing cardiac surgery during the ILI season were at increased risk of inhospital mortality compared with patients in the baseline season. No evidence was found that this difference is caused by direct postoperative pulmonary complications.