EuroSCORE predicts postoperative mortality, certain morbidities, and recovery time

EuroSCORE (European System for Cardiac Operative Risk Evaluation) used for calculating the risk of the postoperative mortality rate for patients undergoing open-heart surgery may be able to predict postoperative complications as well. Consecutive cases of isolated on-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) (n=1552) performed between 1991 and 2006 at our hospital group were placed into a systematic database. Patients were stratified using additive EuroSCORE. Incidence of postoperative mortality, morbidity (bleeding, heart failure, mediastinitis, pneumonia, myocardial infarction, renal failure, and stroke), and recovery time (intubation time, ICU stay, and postoperative length of stay) was assessed in each EuroSCORE group. EuroSCORE was well correlated with mortality, total incidence of major complications, heart failure, renal failure, stroke, pneumonia and mediastinitis, and three parameters of recovery time. Postoperative myocardial infarction and incidence of bleeding were not correlated with EuroSCORE. EuroSCORE can predict not only mortality but also postoperative complications and recovery time.