title: Outcomes and risk factors of cardiac arrest after vascular surgery procedures.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Despite increased awareness of the value of discussing patients' goals of care, advance directives, and code status as part of the surgical informed consent process, the actual outcomes and risks of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) remain poorly defined among some subsets of surgical patients. Thus, in an effort to generate an evidence base for communication about shared decision making and informed consent for vascular surgery patients and their surrogates, we defined the incidence, risks, and outcomes of postoperative cardiac arrest after primary vascular surgery procedures.
  
  
  METHODS
  The 2007 to 2010 National Surgical Quality Improvement Program data were queried to develop a multi-institutional database of patients undergoing vascular surgery (N = 123,581). Univariate analyses and multivariate logistic regression were used to identify crude and adjusted risk factors for postoperative cardiac arrest requiring CPR and to assess outcomes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Postoperative cardiac arrest requiring CPR was seen in 1234 of 123,581 patients (1.0%) after vascular surgery at a mean of 7.2 ± 2 days. The 30-day mortality was 73.4% compared with 2.7% among patients who did not arrest (P < .001). Of CPR survivors, 102 (12.1%) were still hospitalized at 30 days. Patient variables that were most predictive of postoperative cardiac arrest included dependent functional status (odds ratio [OR], 2.9; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.3-3.6; P < .001), dialysis dependence (OR, 2.7; 95% CI, 2.3-3.2; P < .001), emergent case (OR, 2.2; 95% CI, 1.9-2.5; P < .001), and preoperative ventilator dependence (OR, 2.0; 95% CI, 1.5-2.7; P < .001). Procedures associated with the highest risk included thoracic aortic surgery (OR, 6.9; 95% CI, 4.8-9.9; P < .001), open abdominal procedures (OR, 3.7; 95% CI, 3.1-4.4; P < .001), axillary-femoral bypass (OR, 2.1; 95% CI, 1.3-3.2; P = .001), and peripheral embolectomy (OR, 1.5; 95% CI, 1.2-1.9; P = .002). At least one major complication preceded cardiac arrest in 47.7% of patients including sepsis (23.5%), renal failure (14.5%), and myocardial infarction (12.1%). Patients with do not resuscitate orders were significantly less likely to undergo CPR (OR, 0.59; 95% CI, 0.39-0.93; P = .021).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients undergoing vascular surgery who suffer a postoperative cardiac arrest frequently die in spite of receiving CPR; for those who survive, there is likely to be prolonged hospitalization and significant morbidity. These data provide an evidence base for discussing goals of care, advance directives, and code status with vascular surgery patients and their surrogates. Further research into how to best communicate risk, to elicit patient preferences, and to engage in shared decision making is needed.
authors.affiliation: Division of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY. Electronic address: jes9061@nyp.org.
authors.forename: Jeffrey J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Siracuse
authors.affiliation: Division of Medical Ethics, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY.
authors.forename: Ellen C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Meltzer
authors.affiliation: Division of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY.
authors.forename: Heather L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Gill
authors.affiliation: Division of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY.
authors.forename: Ashley R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Graham
authors.affiliation: Division of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY.
authors.forename: Darren B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Schneider
authors.affiliation: Division of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY.
authors.forename: Peter H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Connolly
authors.affiliation: Division of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY.
authors.forename: Andrew J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Meltzer
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016887:Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D016208:Databases, Factual; D003661:Decision Support Techniques; D005260:Female; D006323:Heart Arrest / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D016017:Odds Ratio; D018579:Patient Selection; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014481:United States; D014656:Vascular Surgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000401:mortality