Investigation of the Effect of Preoperative Hypoalbuminemia, Blood Urea Nitrogen and Creatinine Levels on Postoperative Atrial Fibrillation on Off-Pump Coronary Bypass Surgery Patients.

BACKGROUND

Postoperative atrial fibrillation (PoAF) is one of the most common complications to occur after open heart surgery. It has been shown that hypoalbuminemia accompanies some cardiovascular disorders. The present study evaluates the effects of pre-procedural albumin, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and creatinine levels on PoAF.

METHODS

The data of 81 patients who underwent off-pump coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery was evaluated. Patients who developed atrial fibrillation (AF) in the first 48 hours post surgery constituted the PoAF (+) group, while those without AF constituted the PoAF (-) group. The pre-procedural hematological parameters of patients in both groups were included in the analysis.

RESULTS

The PoAF (+) group was comprised of 57 patients (70.3%) with a mean age of 65.5 ± 9.8 years, while the PoAF (-) group was comprised of 24 patients (29.7%) with a mean age of 60.6 ± 9.6 years. A comparison of the demographic characteristics of the two groups showed that age (P = .036), frequency of renal failure (P = .007), and frequency of DM (P = .001) were higher in the PoAF (+) group. An examination of the laboratory data revealed a negative correlation between Hct (P = .001) and albumin (P = .000) levels and presence of PoAF. Also, the MPV (P = .02), BUN (P = .007), and Cr (P = .043) values were higher in the PoAF (+) group.

CONCLUSION

The present study, whose focus was on the effects of albumin levels on the occurrence of PoAF, found that low levels of pre-procedural albumin, as one of the major proteins in the blood, is a risk factor for the development of PoAF.