Association Between Preoperative Red Cell Distribution Width-to-hemoglobin Concentration Ratio and Postoperative...

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Hematology
• Surgical Outcomes

Background:

• Red cell distribution width (RDW) and hemoglobin concentration are key complete blood count parameters.
• These parameters are linked to outcomes in cardiovascular disease and cardiac surgery patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between the RDW-to-hemoglobin ratio (RHR) and prognosis in adult patients undergoing scheduled cardiac surgery.
• Evaluate RHR as a predictive biomarker for postoperative mortality and complications.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective observational study of 293 adult patients undergoing elective cardiac surgery.
• Data collected from electronic medical records and anesthetic charts between January 2014 and September 2020.
• Analysis included receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis to determine predictive values.

Main Results:

• The RHR showed significant predictive ability for 30-day (AUC=0.82) and 1-year (AUC=0.77) postoperative mortality with a cutoff of 1.38.
• Patients with a high RHR (≥1.38) had significantly increased odds of 30-day (OR=5.98) and 1-year (OR=7.12) mortality.

Conclusions:

• Preoperative RHR is a valuable biomarker for predicting 30-day and 1-year postoperative mortality.
• Elevated RHR is associated with increased risk of mortality and postoperative complications in patients undergoing scheduled cardiac surgery.