The Association between Preoperative Plasma C-Reactive Protein (CRP) Level and Postoperative Adult Heart Surgery Outcome

Abstract

Introduction: Careful history and physical examinations are the best ways for preoperative evaluation. Currently, we are recommended to rely on doing them rather than unnecessary and costly laboratory tests for confirmation or diagnosis of disease. The aim of study is the survey of CRP level association to decide further evaluation and expert consultation, newly diagnosed problems and possible effect on postoperative mortality and morbidity. Methods and Materials: In a descriptive retrospective study, hospital documentation of 620 patients older than 18 years undergone heart surgery in Tabriz Shahid Madani hospital was evaluated. Addition to plasma CRP level, patient’s demographic information, type of surgery, preoperative significant tests, delay time in surgery start time after anesthesiology visit, cause of requested specialty consultation and treatment recommendation, postoperative complications and mortality rate were recorded and analyzed. Patients were classified according to preoperative plasma CRP level to five groups as negative, +1, +2, +3 and not measured (<i>i.e.</i> they considered as normal (0 - 5 mg/l), mildly (5 - 40 mg/l), moderately (40 - 200 mg/L) or severely increased (>200 mg/l) groups). Results: Of 620 patients, 402 were male and 218 were female. There was not statistically significant correlation among demographic variables (gender, age, weight, and height), heart disease diagnosis and the type of surgery in five groups. In 79 individuals, they were done specialty consultations that most common of them were neurology consultation because of impaired renal laboratory tests. Only 2 cases were due to high CRP level. In any of cases, this preoperative consultation didn’t result from new disease cases. CRP plasma level hadn’t association with preoperative red blood cell sedimentation level. Prevalence of preoperative acute myocardium infarction was higher in patients with high CRP level. In group +1, delay time was lower than other groups. The most common causes were cardiac causes. There wasn’t statistically significant correlation between CRP level and different postoperative complications. There wasn’t significant association between ICU stay time and postoperative hospital stay time and plasma high CRP level. Conclusion: Probably, plasma CRP level increases before surgery in acute myocardial infarction and results in high mortality rate. It seems that routine measurement of CRP in candidates for heart operation is beneficial for mortality rate prediction, so its increasing level can’t help to diagnosis newly cases and it isn’t prudent to consult with specialist.