ObjectivesEpidemiological differences can be found between Brazilian and European valvular heart disease patients. The prevalence of heart valve diseases due to rheumatic disease is significantly higher in the Brazilian compared with the European population. Therefore, they could have different risks during and after cardiac surgery. The aim of this study was to evaluate the applicability of the additive and logistic EuroSCORE and EuroSCORE II in a cohort of high-risk patients with valvular heart disease of predominantly rheumatic aetiology submitted to surgery.MethodsBetween 1 February and 30 December 2009, 540 consecutive patients scheduled for valvular heart surgery were included in this study. In this set of patients, we examined the performance of the additive, logistic, and EuroSCORE II models for predicting in-hospital mortality. Calibration of each model was assessed by comparing predicted and observed in-hospital mortality and by the goodness of fit of the Hosmer-Lemeshow chi-square test. Discrimination performance of the model was evaluated with the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis.ResultsThe mean age was 56 ± 16 years, 50.6% were female, and the mortality rate was 16.0% (6.0% in elective surgery and 34.0% in emergency/urgency surgery). Mortality rates were estimated according to the additive and logistic EuroSCORE and EuroSCORE II at 6.1%, 8.7%, and 4.3%, respectively. The AUC was 0.76 (95% confidence interval [95% CI] 0.70–0.81) for the additive EuroSCORE, 0.76 (95% CI 0.70–0.81) for the logistic EuroSCORE and 0.81 (95% CI 0.76–0.86) for EuroSCORE II. Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit statistics were P = 0.52, P = 0.07, and P = 0.12 for additive, logistic EuroSCORE, and EuroSCORE II.ConclusionsIn this cohort of Brazilian patients with valvular heart disease submitted to surgical procedure, the EuroSCORE models had a good discriminatory capacity; however, the calibration was compromised because of an underestimation of the mortality rate.
The risk scores used as assistance agents in valve diseases are validated worldwide; however, the data are not homogeneous. The epidemiological characteristics of each population require local validation of these risk tools. The percutaneous valve replacement, which is a reality in valvular diseases (especially aortic stenosis), is indicated for patients with high or prohibitive surgical risk. Studies with this new treatment strategy use risk scores as criteria for inclusion and there are few studies that use such tools as predictors of risk.The risk scores, after due validation in their relevant populations, are combined with clinical practice (individualization of conduct) in the definition of the conduct to be adopted in the clinical practice of valvular heart disease.
Clinical facts and numerical data support interpretations of quality of life and survival in patients with valvular heart disease. Such data are useful in decision making regarding the interruption of natural history and replacement by a hemodynamic post-correction history. Interdisciplinary competence and expertise are required to maximize the necessary and possible results. However, the ideal of recommendations to achieve the highest degree of therapeutic satisfaction by patients with valvular heart disease is influenced by a set of variables, related in part to the specifications of the patient, and part to the limitations of methods.The rationale of the risk score validated for multiple markers is the addition of quantitative accuracy to the clinical assessment based on the heterogeneity of individual experience and intuition. In this context, the use of risk scores to predict postoperative mortality are useful tools, easy to apply and that gives us objective data on the patient's situation. None of the available tools (EuroSCORE, STS score and Ambler Score) used in healthcare has been validated has in our population.
Heart valve disease is a very common medical condition; the most frequent aetiology is degenerative valve disease, mainly represented by calcific aortic stenosis in the elderly. In developing countries, valvular heart disease triggered by rheumatic fever is the most important aetiology and can lead to a heterogeneous heart valve disease, mainly represented by mitral stenosis in young female patients. The need for heart valve surgery is common in this context and preoperative risk stratification is essential in making surgical decisions. To evaluate the preoperative risk of these valve heart disease patients, risk scores have been created to assess the surgical morbidity and mortality.
In this article, we aim to discuss the current risk score systems, and the applicability and effectiveness of these systems in specific populations of heart valve disease taking into account the epidemiological characteristics of the studied populations.
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