title: Long-term outcome of survivors of prolonged intensive care treatment after cardiac surgery.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The relative impact of perioperative risk profile and postoperative complications on long-term outcome in cardiac surgical patients is currently unclear. The aim of this work was to assess the relative predictive value of the European System for Cardiac Operative Risk Evaluation (EuroSCORE) and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) on long-term event-free survival in this patient population.
  
  
  METHODS
  Preoperative and postoperative variables, EuroSCORE and SOFA, 30-day mortality, and long-term mortality or hospital admission for cardiovascular events were assessed in 115 consecutive cardiac surgical patients in whom multiorgan dysfunction syndrome developed postoperatively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean age was 70 +/- 8 years, 41% were women, EuroSCORE averaged 7.87 +/- 3.99, and postoperative stay in the intensive care unit was 10.3 +/- 8.2 days. In-hospital 30-day mortality was 10.4% (n = 12). During 1998 person-months follow-up, 12 (11.6%) of 103 patients discharged alive died, and 46 (44.7%) met the combined end point of all-cause death or cardiovascular admission. By Cox multivariate analysis, maximum SOFA (hazard ratio [HR], 2.17; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.34 to 3.51) and maximum cardiovascular score (HR, 2.35; 95% CI, 1.22 to 4.51) independently predicted all-cause mortality. EuroSCORE (HR, 1.33; 95% CI, 1.01 to 1.76), maximum cardiovascular score (HR 2.09; 95% CI 1.41 to 3.10), and maximum liver score (HR 2.67; 95% CI, 1.46 to 4.86) were independently associated with the combined end point.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  High-risk cardiac surgical patients with postoperative multiorgan dysfunction syndrome show excess mortality and cardiovascular morbidity after hospital discharge. Combined preoperative and postoperative risk stratification identifies patients with the highest likelihood of death or early readmission.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care, Humanitas Gavazzeni, Bergamo, Italy. maurizio.mazzoni@gavazzeni.it
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mazzoni
authors.forename: Renata
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: De Maria
authors.forename: Franco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bortone
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Parolini
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ceriani
authors.forename: Costantino
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Solinas
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Arena
authors.forename: Oberdan
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Parodi
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000401:mortality*; D003422:Critical Care; D005260:Female; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009102:Multiple Organ Failure / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality*; D011184:Postoperative Period; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D018570:Risk Assessment; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome