Peri-operative SARS-CoV-2 infection increases postoperative mortality. The aim of this study was to determine the optimal duration of planned delay before surgery in patients who have had SARS-CoV-2 infection. This international, multicentre, prospective cohort study included patients undergoing elective or emergency surgery during October 2020. Surgical patients with pre-operative SARS-CoV-2 infection were compared with those without previous SARS-CoV-2 infection. The primary outcome measure was 30-day postoperative mortality. Logistic regression models were used to calculate adjusted 30-day mortality rates stratified by time from diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection to surgery. Among 140,231 patients (116 countries), 3127 patients (2.2%) had a pre-operative SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis. Adjusted 30-day mortality in patients without SARS-CoV-2 infection was 1.5% (95%CI 1.4-1.5). In patients with a pre-operative SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis, mortality was increased in patients having surgery within 0-2 weeks, 3-4 weeks and 5-6 weeks of the diagnosis (odds ratio (95%CI) 4.1 (3.3-4.8), 3.9 (2.6-5.1) and 3.6 (2.0-5.2), respectively). Surgery performed ≥ 7 weeks after SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis was associated with a similar mortality risk to baseline (odds ratio (95%CI) 1.5 (0.9-2.1)). After a ≥ 7 week delay in undertaking surgery following SARS-CoV-2 infection, patients with ongoing symptoms had a higher mortality than patients whose symptoms had resolved or who had been asymptomatic (6.0% (95%CI 3.2-8.7) vs. 2.4% (95%CI 1.4-3.4) vs. 1.3% (95%CI 0.6-2.0), respectively). Where possible, surgery should be delayed for at least 7 weeks following SARS-CoV-2 infection. Patients with ongoing symptoms ≥ 7 weeks from diagnosis may benefit from further delay.

In high-risk patients undergoing non-cardiac surgery, perioperative aspirin reduced the risk of MACE without increasing bleeding complications. However, the study was not powered to evaluate bleeding complications.

IntroductionMyocardial dysfunction is a well-known complication in septic shock but its characteristics and frequency remains elusive. Here, we evaluate global longitudinal peak strain (GLPS) of the left ventricle as a diagnostic and prognostic tool in septic shock.MethodsFifty adult patients with septic shock admitted to a general intensive care unit were included. Transthoracic echocardiography was performed on the first day, and repeated during and after ICU stay. Laboratory and clinical data and data on outcome were collected daily from admission and up to 7 days, shorter in cases of death or ICU discharge. The correlation of GLPS to left ventricular systolic and diastolic function parameters, cardiac biomarkers and clinical data were compared using Spearman’s correlation test and linear regression analysis, and the ability of GLPS to predict outcome was evaluated using a logistic regression model.ResultsOn the day of admission, there was a strong correlation and co-linearity of GLPS to left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), mitral annular motion velocity (é) and to amino-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) (Spearman’s ρ -0.70, −0.53 and 0.54, and R2 0.49, 0.20 and 0.24, respectively). In LVEF and NT-proBNP there was a significant improvement during the study period (analysis of variance (ANOVA) with repeated measures, p = 0.05 and p < 0.001, respectively), but not in GLPS, which remained unchanged over time (p = 0.10). GLPS did not correlate to the improvement in clinical characteristics over time, did not differ significantly between survivors and non-survivors (−17.4 (−20.5-(−13.7)) vs. -14.7 (−19.0 - (−10.6)), p = 0.11), and could not predict mortality.ConclusionsGLPS is frequently reduced in septic shock patients, alone or in combination with reduced LVEF and/or é. It correlates with LVEF, é and NT-proBNP, and remains affected over time. GLPS may provide further understanding on the character of myocardial dysfunction in septic shock.

We conclude that elevated TnT levels in the postoperative period confer a 15-fold increase in mortality during the first year after surgery. Our findings also provide evidence that silent myocardial ischemia is common in an elderly population. Routine perioperative surveillance for TnT might therefore be of use in detecting patients at an increased risk of mortality during the first postoperative year.

This study shows that the Modified Early Warning Score is a useful predictor of mortality in the ICU, 30-day mortality and length of stay in the ICU.