Background
In cardiac surgery, the association between hypotension during specific intraoperative phases or vasopressor-inotropes with adverse outcomes remains unclear. We hypothesized that intraoperative hypotension duration throughout the surgery or when separated into hypotension during and outside CPB may be associated with postoperative major adverse events.
Methods
In this retrospective observational cohort study, we included adults who had cardiac surgery between 2008 and 2016 in a tertiary hospital. Intraoperative hypotension was defined as mean arterial pressure (MAP) <65mmHg. The total duration of hypotension was divided into three categories based on the fraction of overall hypotension duration which occurred during CPB (>80%, 80-60%, <60%). The primary outcome was a composite of stroke, acute kidney injury (AKI) or mortality during the index hospitalization. The association with the composite outcome was evaluated for duration of hypotension during the entire surgery, outside CPB, during CPB and fraction of hypotension during CPB, adjusting for vasopressor-inotrope dose, milrinone dose, patient and surgical factors.
Results
The composite outcome occurred in 256 (5.1%) of 4984 included patient records; 66(1.3%) patients suffered stroke, 125(2.5%) AKI, and 109(2.2%) mortality. The primary outcome was associated with total duration of hypotension [adjusted odds ratio 1.05(95% CI 1.02, 1.08; P=0.032)], hypotension outside CPB [adjusted odds ratio 1.06(95% CI 1.03, 1.10; P=0.001)] per 10 min exposure to MAP <65mmHg, and fraction of hypotension duration during CPB <60% (reference >80%) [adjusted odds ratio 1.67(95% CI 1.10, 2.60; P=0.019)], but not with each 10-minute period hypotension during CPB [adjusted odds ratio 1.04(95% CI 0.99, 1.09, P=0.118)], fraction of hypotension during CPB of 60-80% [adjusted OR 1.45; 95% CI (0.97, 2.23): P = 0.082], or total vasopressor-inotrope dose [adjusted odds ratio 1.00(95% CI 1.00, 1.00, P=0.247)].
Conclusion
We confirm previous single-center findings that intraoperative hypotension throughout cardiac surgery is associated with an increased risk of AKI, mortality, or stroke.