Survival of patients with acute renal failure requiring dialysis after open heart surgery: early prognostic indicators.

We analyzed pre- and postoperative data from 36 consecutive patients, who developed acute renal failure requiring hemodialysis after open heart surgery, to determine which factors predicted survival. Seventeen patients (47%) survived. Age, sex, preoperative renal dysfunction, severity of underlying heart disease, perioperative myocardial infarction, cardiopulmonary bypass time, and oliguria did not influence outcome (by univariate analysis). However, the number and type of postoperative complications, before the first hemodialysis and 48 hours thereafter, were found to be significant predictors of outcome. Univariate as well as multivariate analysis showed that the highest mortality rate was associated with the presence of respiratory failure, central nervous system dysfunction, hypotension, and infection (48 hours after first hemodialysis). Thirty-three (92%) of the 36 patients were correctly classified as survivors or nonsurvivors based on the presence or absence of any one of three prognostic indicators (three or more complications before the first hemodialysis and persisting 48 hours later; hypotension before the first dialysis and persisting 48 hours later; or central nervous system dysfunction 48 hours after hemodialysis was initiated). We conclude that an assessment of prognosis can be made in such patients as early as 48 hours after the first hemodialysis based on the number and type of complications.