Key result
Low preoperative hematocrit is linked to longer ICU stay without significantly increasing post-CABG mortality.
Why the study?
The impact of preoperative hematocrit level on early postoperative outcomes in patients undergoing CABG was not well defined.
Does low preoperative hematocrit worsen early postoperative outcomes in patients undergoing elective isolated on-pump CABG?
Cross-Sectional (n=170)
No
Does low preoperative hematocrit worsen early postoperative outcomes in patients undergoing elective isolated on-pump CABG?
Odds Ratio: 4.15 (95% CI 0.45–38.46)
Absolute Event Rate: 2.3% vs 0.58%
p-value: p=0.173
Low preoperative hematocrit prior to elective CABG is significantly associated with prolonged ICU stay but is not an independent predictor of early mortality, infection, or transfusion requirements in this cohort.
Low preoperative hematocrit was associated with prolonged ICU stay after CABG; this hypothesis-generating cross-sectional finding leaves open whether optimization improves outcomes.
Objective: To determine early postoperative outcomes based on preoperative hematocrit level in patients undergoing CABG.Study Design: Analytical cross-sectional study.Place and Duration of Study: This study was conducted at the Department of Cardiac Surgery, Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology/National Institute of Heart Diseases (AFIC/NIHD), Rawalpindi, Pakistan, from November 2025 to April 2026.Methods: A total of 170 patients undergoing elective isolated on-pump CABG were included in the study. The two groups of patients were classified as low hematocrit (<36%) and not low hematocrit (>36%). Demographic information, comorbidities, laboratory values, intraoperative variables, and early postoperative outcomes were examined in clinical records. Mortality, infection at the operative site, Red Blood Cell transfusion requirement, and length of ICU and hospital stay were outcomes. The predictors of postoperative infection and mortality were determined using logistic regression analysis.Results: Patients with low preoperative HCT spent significantly more time in the ICU than those with high hematocrit (P < 0.001). There were no statistically significant differences between the groups in terms of RBC transfusion (P= 0.56) or postoperative infection (P= 0.618). The low HCT group had a higher mortality (2.3% vs. 0.58%), but this was not statistically significant (P = 0.173). Preoperative hematocrit was not found to be an independent predictor of infection or mortality in the present study.Conclusion: Low preoperative hematocrit is found to be linked with prolonged ICU stay following CABG, indicating delayed postoperative recovery, but without independent relationships with increased infection, transfusion requirement, and statistically significant mortality. Preoperative anemia can be optimized to enhance postoperative recovery outcomes. How to cite this: Hanif A, Khan MA, Saqib M, Haider S, Akhtar MU, Siddique S. Effect of Preoperative Hematocrit level on Early Postoperative Outcomes in Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery Patients- A Cross-Sectional Study at Tertiary Cardiac Care Hospital, Rawalpindi, Pakistan. Life and Science. 2026; 7(3): 297-305. doi: http://doi.org/10.37185/LnS.1.1.1178
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Hanif et al. (2026) conducted a cross-sectional in Coronary Artery Disease requiring CABG (n=170). Low preoperative hematocrit (<36%) vs. Normal/high preoperative hematocrit (≥36%) was evaluated on Mortality (OR 4.15, 95% CI 0.45-38.46, p=0.173). Low preoperative hematocrit significantly prolonged ICU stay (P<0.001) but did not significantly increase mortality (2.3% vs 0.58%, P=0.173) in patients undergoing elective CABG.
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