Abstract
BACKGROUND: Multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) is the progressive and potentially reversible dysfunction of at least two organ systems in the course of an acute and life-threatening disorder of systemic homeostasis. MODS is a serious post-cardiac-surgery complication in valvular heart disease that is associated with a high risk of death. This study assessed the predictive ability of selected preoperative and perioperative parameters for the occurrence of MODS in the early postoperative period in a group of patients with severe valvular heart disease. METHODS: Subsequent patients with significant symptomatic valvular heart disease who underwent cardiac surgery were recruited in the study. The main end-point was postoperative MODS, defined as a dysfunction of at least two organs-perioperative stroke, heart failure requiring mechanical circulatory support, respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation, and postoperative acute kidney injury requiring renal replacement therapy. A logistic regression was used to assess relationships between variables. RESULTS: There were 602 patients recruited for this study. The main end-point occurred in 40 patients. Preoperative NT-proBNP (OR 1.026; 95% CI 1.012-1.041; p = 0.001) and hemoglobin (OR 0.653; 95% CI 0.503-0.847; p = 0.003) are independent predictors of the primary end-point in a multivariate regression analysis. The cut-off point for the NT-proBNP value for postoperative MODS was calculated at 1300 pg/mL. CONCLUSIONS: A high preoperative level of NTpro-BNP may be associated with the onset of MODS in the early postoperative period. The results of the study may also suggest that earlier cardiac surgery for significant valvular heart disease may be associated with an improved prognosis in this group of patients.