Low cardiac output syndrome in the postoperative period of cardiac surgery. Profile, differences in clinical course and prognosis. The ESBAGA study.

OBJECTIVES

An analysis is made of the clinical profile, evolution and differences in morbidity and mortality of low cardiac output syndrome (LCOS) in the postoperative period of cardiac surgery, according to the 3 diagnostic subgroups defined by the SEMICYUC Consensus 2012.

DESIGN

A multicenter, prospective cohort study was carried out.

SETTING

ICUs of Spanish hospitals with cardiac surgery.

PATIENTS

A consecutive sample of 2,070 cardiac surgery patients was included, with the analysis of 137 patients with LCOS.

INTERVENTIONS

No intervention was carried out.

RESULTS

The mean patient age was 68.3±9.3 years (65.2% males), with a EuroSCORE II of 9.99±13. NYHA functional class III-IV (52.9%), left ventricular ejection fraction<35% (33.6%), AMI (31.9%), severe PHT (21.7%), critical preoperative condition (18.8%), prior cardiac surgery (18.1%), PTCA/stent placement (16.7%). According to subgroups, 46 patients fulfilled hemodynamic criteria of LCOS (group A), 50 clinical criteria (group B), and the rest (n=41) presented cardiogenic shock (group C). Significant differences were observed over the evolutive course between the subgroups in terms of time subjected to mechanical ventilation (114.4, 135.4 and 180.3min in groups A, B and C, respectively; P<.001), renal replacement requirements (11.4, 14.6 and 36.6%; P=.007), multiorgan failure (16.7, 13 and 47.5%), and mortality (13.6, 12.5 and 35.9%; P=.01). The mean maximum lactate concentration was higher in cardiogenic shock patients (P=.002).

CONCLUSIONS

The clinical evolution of these patients leads to high morbidity and mortality. We found differences between the subgroups in terms of the postoperative clinical course and mortality.