Perioperative right heart catheterization was associated with an increased risk of major postoperative cardiac events compared to no catheterization (15.4% vs 3.6%; adjusted OR 2.0; 95% CI 1.3-3.2).
Cohort (n=4,059)
Single-blind
No
Does perioperative right heart catheterization reduce major postoperative cardiac events in patients aged ≥50 years undergoing major elective noncardiac surgery?
Perioperative right heart catheterization is associated with an increased risk of major postoperative cardiac and noncardiac events in patients undergoing major noncardiac surgery, suggesting no benefit and potential harm.
Effect estimate: OR 2.0 (95% CI 1.3-3.2)
Absolute Event Rate: 15.4% vs 3.6%
p-value: p=<.001
CONTEXT: Right heart catheterization (RHC) is commonly performed before high-risk noncardiac surgery, but the benefit of this strategy remains unproven. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the relationship between use of perioperative RHC and postoperative cardiac complication rates in patients undergoing major noncardiac surgery. DESIGN: Prospective, observational cohort study. SETTING: Tertiary care teaching hospital in the United States. PATIENTS: Patients (n = 4059 aged >/=50 years) who underwent major elective noncardiac procedures with an expected length of stay of 2 or more days between July 18, 1989, and February 28, 1994. Two hundred twenty one patients had RHC and 3838 did not. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Combined end point of major postoperative cardiac events, including myocardial infarction, unstable angina, cardiogenic pulmonary edema, ventricular fibrillation, documented ventricular tachycardia or primary cardiac arrest, and sustained complete heart block, classified by a reviewer blinded to preoperative data. RESULTS: Major cardiac events occurred in 171 patients (4.2%). Patients who underwent perioperative RHC had a 3-fold increase in incidence of major postoperative cardiac events (34 15.4% vs 137 3.6%; P<.001). In multivariate analyses, the adjusted odds ratios (ORs) for postoperative major cardiac and noncardiac events in patients undergoing RHC were 2.0 (95% confidence interval CI, 1.3-3.2) and 2.1 (95% CI, 1.2-3.5), respectively. In a case-control analysis of a subset of 215 matched pairs of patients who did and did not undergo RHC, adjusted for propensity of RHC and type of procedure, patients who underwent perioperative RHC also had increased risk of postoperative congestive heart failure (OR, 2.9; 95% CI, 1.4-6.2) and major noncardiac events (OR, 2.2; 95% CI, 1.4-4.9). CONCLUSIONS: No evidence was found of reduction in complication rates associated with use of perioperative RHC in this population. Because of the morbidity and the high costs associated with RHC, the impact of this intervention in perioperative care should be evaluated in randomized trials.
Carísi Anne Polanczyk (Wed,) conducted a cohort in Major elective noncardiac surgery (n=4,059). Perioperative right heart catheterization vs. No right heart catheterization was evaluated on Combined end point of major postoperative cardiac events (OR 2.0, 95% CI 1.3-3.2, p=<.001). Perioperative right heart catheterization was associated with an increased risk of major postoperative cardiac events compared to no catheterization (15.4% vs 3.6%; adjusted OR 2.0; 95% CI 1.3-3.2).