Cardiac risk and peripheral vascular surgery: new approach based on a multifactorial risk index

An inexpensive approach to stratification of patients admitted for arterial surgery into groups of high and low cardiac risk has been prospectively evaluated in 235 consecutive patients. The Goldman and Detsky indices, assessed by a nurse the day before surgery, both identified patient groups with increased risk of lethal or potentially lethal (myocardial infarction, pulmonary oedema) cardiac events within 30 days after peripheral vascular surgery. The Goldman index was the more sensitive predictor of cardiac death (overall frequency 3.1 per cent) while the Detsky index was superior for prediction of non-lethal cardiac events (overall frequency 5.9 per cent). The simplest and yet most effective stratification into high and low cardiac risk was achieved using a Detsky score of 10 as the cut-off. It is concluded that multifactorial risk index-based preoperative screening can identify low-risk patients (Detsky score < or = 10), who may be accepted for vascular surgery (aortic aneurysm surgery excluded) without additional cardiac testing.