Key result
Post-cardiac surgery transfers account for ~12% of in-hospital deaths, showing index mortality underestimates true mortality.
Why the study?
In-hospital mortality is commonly used to measure surgical outcomes, but deaths occurring after discharge to other healthcare facilities may not be captured, potentially underestimating true mortality rates.
Does tracking mortality after transfer to other healthcare facilities change the reported in-hospital mortality rates for cardiac surgery patients?
Observational (n=109,638)
Yes
Does tracking mortality after transfer to other healthcare facilities change the reported in-hospital mortality rates for cardiac surgery patients?
A substantial percentage of in-hospital deaths after cardiac surgery occurs after transfer to another facility, indicating that index-hospital mortality alone underestimates true mortality.
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Index-hospital mortality underestimates true rates after cardiac surgery; leaves open whether registries should standardize transfer-outcome tracking.
Carey et al. (2003) conducted an observational in Cardiac surgery (n=109,638). Transfer to another healthcare facility vs. Discharge home was evaluated on In-hospital mortality. Transfer to another healthcare facility after cardiac surgery accounts for 11.0% to 13.5% of all in-hospital deaths, demonstrating that index hospitalization mortality underestimates true mortality.
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