1 ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLE ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLEEditorial, see p XXX BACKGROUND: Perioperative myocardial injury (PMI) seems to be a contributor to mortality after noncardiac surgery. Because the vast majority of PMIs are asymptomatic, PMI usually is missed in the absence of systematic screening. METHODS:We performed a prospective diagnostic study enrolling consecutive patients undergoing noncardiac surgery who had a planned postoperative stay of ≥24 hours and were considered at increased cardiovascular risk. All patients received a systematic screening using serial measurements of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T in clinical routine. PMI was defined as an absolute high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T increase of ≥14 ng/L from preoperative to postoperative measurements. Furthermore, mortality was compared among patients with PMI not fulfilling additional criteria (ischemic symptoms, new ECG changes, or imaging evidence of loss of viable myocardium) required for the diagnosis of spontaneous acute myocardial infarction versus those that did. RESULTS:From 2014 to 2015 we included 2018 consecutive patients undergoing 2546 surgeries. Patients had a median age of 74 years and 42% were women. PMI occurred after 397 of 2546 surgeries (16%; 95% confidence interval, 14%-17%) and was accompanied by typical chest pain in 24 of 397 patients (6%) and any ischemic symptoms in 72 of 397 (18%). Crude 30-day mortality was 8.9% (95% confidence interval [CI], 5.7-12.0) in patients with PMI versus 1.5% (95% CI, 0.9-2.0) in patients without PMI (P<0.001). Multivariable regression analysis showed an adjusted hazard ratio of 2.7 (95% CI, 1.5-4.8) for 30-day mortality. The difference was retained at 1 year with mortality rates of 22.5% (95% CI, 17.6-27.4) versus 9.3% (95% CI, 7.9-10.7). Thirty-day mortality was comparable among patients with PMI not fulfilling any other of the additional criteria required for spontaneous acute myocardial infarction (280/397, 71%) versus those with at least 1 additional criterion (10.4%; 95% CI, versus 8.7%; 95% CI, P=0.684). CONCLUSIONS:PMI is a common complication after noncardiac surgery and, despite early detection during routine clinical screening, is associated with substantial short-and long-term mortality. Mortality seems comparable in patients with PMI not fulfilling any other of the additional criteria required for spontaneous acute myocardial infarction versus those patients who do. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: Perioperative myocardial injury (PMI) has recently been identified as an important, yet often undetected complication after noncardiac surgery, strongly associated with 30-day mortality. [1][2][3][4][5] In contrast with spontaneous myocardial infarction (MI), PMI most commonly does not exhibit typical symptoms of myocardial ischemia, such as chest pain, angina pectoris, or dyspnea, and is therefore missed in routine clinical practice in most institutions in the United States and worldwide. [1][2][3][4][5] Considering that >300 million surgeries are performed annually and that de...

Aims Major adverse cardiac events (MACE) triggered by non-cardiac surgery are prognostically important perioperative complications. However, due to often asymptomatic presentation, the incidence and timing of postoperative MACE are incompletely understood. Methods and results We conducted a prospective observational study implementing a perioperative screening for postoperative MACE [cardiovascular death (CVD), acute heart failure (AHF), haemodynamically relevant arrhythmias, spontaneous myocardial infarction (MI), and perioperative myocardial infarction/injury (PMI)] in patients at increased cardiovascular risk (≥65 years OR ≥45 years with history of cardiovascular disease) undergoing non-cardiac surgery at a tertiary hospital. All patients received serial measurements of cardiac troponin to detect asymptomatic MACE. Among 2265 patients (mean age 73 years, 43.4% women), the incidence of MACE was 15.2% within 30 days, and 20.6% within 365 days. CVD occurred in 1.2% [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.9–1.8] and in 3.7% (95% CI 3.0–4.5), haemodynamically relevant arrhythmias in 1.2% (95% CI 0.9–1.8) and in 2.1% (95% CI 1.6–2.8), AHF in 1.6% (95% CI 1.2–2.2) and in 4.2% (95% CI 3.4–5.1), spontaneous MI in 0.5% (95% CI 0.3–0.9) and in 1.6% (95% CI 1.2–2.2), and PMI in 13.2% (95% CI 11.9–14.7) and in 14.8% (95% CI 13.4–16.4) within 30 days and within 365 days, respectively. The MACE-incidence was increased above presumed baseline rate until Day 135 (95% CI 104–163), indicating a vulnerable period of 3–5 months. Conclusion One out of five high-risk patients undergoing non-cardiac surgery will develop one or more MACE within 365 days. The risk for MACE remains increased for about 5 months after non-cardiac surgery. Trial registration https://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT02573532.

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