Clinical features and outcomes in patients with diabetes mellitus undergoing coronary artery bypass graft in a reference center in southern Brazil

To describe clinical/laboratory features of patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) in a cardiology reference center. Cohort study; data from patients undergoing CABG (January 2004 to February 2006, n = 717) were evaluated for clinical/laboratory features before, during and after surgery (infections, duration of hospital stay, deaths). Patients were 61.9 ± 11 years old, 67.1% males, 29.6% diabetics. Intraoperatively, diabetics had a central venous catheter placed for a longer period (p < 0.001), but extracorporeal circulation, aortic clamping and total surgery times were similar to those for non-diabetics. Infection occurred in 19.1% of patients (40.1% diabetics vs. 10.3% non-diabetics, p < 0.001). The duration of hospital stay was longer for patients with diabetes vs. non-diabetic patients, but there was no difference in deaths between the two groups (p = 0.797). Patients with diabetes undergoing CABG develop more infectious diseases and stay longer in hospital than non-diabetics.