Abstract
BACKGROUND: It is unclear how perioperative hemoglobin decrease (ΔHb) influences the balance between risks and benefits of red blood cell transfusion after cardiac surgery. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed data on 8186 adults who underwent valve surgery and/or coronary artery bypass grafting under cardiopulmonary bypass at two large cardiology centers. We explored the potential association of ΔHb, defined relative to the preoperative level and postoperative nadir, with a composite outcome of in-hospital mortality, myocardial infarction, stroke, and acute kidney injury using multivariable logistic regression, restricted cubic spline, and piecewise-linear models. RESULTS: Among 6316 patients without preoperative anemia, ΔHb ≥ 50 % was associated with an elevated risk of the composite outcome [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 1.95, 95 % confidence interval (CI) 1.81-2.35]. Among 869 patients without preoperative anemia and with ΔHb ≥ 50 %, postoperative transfusion of no more than four units of red blood cell appeared to decrease the risk of the composite outcome, whereas transfusion of more than six units increased risk. Among 5447 patients without preoperative anemia and with ΔHb < 50 %, postoperative transfusion appeared not to decrease the risk of the composite outcome. Among 1870 patients with preoperative anemia, ΔHb ≥ 30 % significantly increased the risk of the composite outcome (aOR 1.61, 95 % CI 1.23-2.10), and this risk might be moderated by postoperative transfusion of no more than four units of red blood cell, but increased by transfusion of more than six units. CONCLUSIONS: ΔHb may influence the balance between risks and benefits of red blood cell transfusion after cardiac surgery.