Colchicine Use Is Associated with Shorter ICU Stay and Lower FFP Transfusion Requirements After CABG

Colchicine has demonstrated anti-inflammatory and cardiovascular benefits in patients with coronary heart disease. However, evidence regarding its effects on postoperative inflammation and early clinical outcomes following coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) remains limited.

We aimed to evaluate the association between perioperative low-dose colchicine use and postoperative clinical outcomes, transfusion requirements, complications, and inflammatory markers in patients undergoing elective on-pump CABG.

This retrospective study included 151 patients who underwent elective on-pump CABG: 81 received colchicine (0.5 mg once daily for 3 days preoperatively and 10 days postoperatively) and 70 did not receive colchicine in the past period. The primary clinical outcomes included ICU and total hospital length of stay, erythrocyte and fresh frozen plasma (FFP) transfusion requirements, wound complication, and surgical revision. Postoperative day 5 laboratory parameters included C-reactive protein, white blood cell (WBC) count, systemic immune-inflammation index (SII), and albumin. Between-group comparisons were performed using Student's or Welch's t tests and Pearson's chi-square or Fisher's exact tests, as appropriate.

Baseline age and sex distribution were similar between the groups. The colchicine group had a significantly shorter ICU stay than the control group (4.28 ± 1.95 vs. 5.83 ± 3.04 days; mean difference, -1.54 days; 95% CI, -2.38 to -0.71; p < 0.001). FFP transfusion requirements were also significantly lower in the colchicine group (3.49 ± 1.24 vs. 8.13 ± 3.97 units; mean difference, -4.63 units; 95% CI, -5.62 to -3.65; p < 0.001). Postoperative WBC counts were lower with colchicine (9.44 ± 3.31 vs. 10.78 ± 4.04 × 10⁹/L; p = 0.027). Total hospital stay, erythrocyte transfusion requirements, other inflammatory parameters, wound complication rates, and surgical revision rates did not differ significantly between the groups.

Perioperative low-dose colchicine was found to be in relation with shorter ICU stays, lower FFP transfusion requirements, and reduced postoperative WBC counts following elective on-pump CABG according to this retrospective study. Prospective randomized studies are required to confirm these findings and to determine whether colchicine improves early postoperative outcomes.