Arterial hyperoxia and mortality in the cardiac intensive care unit

Arterial hyperoxia (hyperoxemia), defined as a high arterial partial pressure of oxygen (PaO2), has been associated with adverse outcomes in critically ill populations, but has not been examined in the cardiac intensive care unit (CICU). We evaluated the association between exposure to hyperoxia on admission with in-hospital mortality in a mixed CICU cohort.

We included unique Mayo Clinic CICU patients admitted from 2007 to 2018 with admission PaO2 data (defined as the PaO2 value closest to CICU admission) and no hypoxia (PaO2 < 60mmHg). The admission PaO2 was evaluated as a continuous variable and categorized (60-100 mmHg, 101-150 mmHg, 151-200 mmHg, 201-300 mmHg, >300 mmHg). Logistic regression was used to evaluate predictors of in-hospital mortality before and after multivariable adjustment.

We included 3,368 patients with a median age of 70.3 years; 70.3% received positive-pressure ventilation. The median PaO2 was 99 mmHg, with a distribution as follows: 60-100 mmHg, 51.9%; 101-150 mmHg, 28.6%; 151-200 mmHg, 10.6%; 201-300 mmHg, 6.4%; >300 mmHg, 2.5%. A J-shaped association between admission PaO2 and in-hospital mortality was observed, with a nadir around 100 mmHg. A higher PaO2 was associated with increased in-hospital mortality (adjusted OR 1.17 per 100 mmHg higher, 95% CI 1.01-1.34, p = 0.03). Patients with PaO2 >300 mmHg had higher in-hospital mortality versus PaO2 60-100 mmHg (adjusted OR 2.37, 95% CI 1.41-3.94, p < 0.001).

Hyperoxia at the time of CICU admission is associated with higher in-hospital mortality, primarily in those with severely elevated PaO2 >300 mmHg.