Cardiothoracic & vascular anesthesia
Acid-Base Disturbances After Cardiac Surgery: A Cohort Study Using the Physicochemical Approach
Authors' conclusion
The Stewart approach reveals a substantial role for unmeasured anions in postoperative metabolic acidosis after cardiac surgery.
Study context
- Population
- Adults undergoing elective cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), tertiary university hospital in Italy
- Participants
- 50 adults
- Exposure
- Postoperative vs baseline acid-base status
- Outcome
- Acid-base status at ICU arrival
- Follow-up
- ICU arrival
Methodological detailssingle-centre
- Single-centre
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
pH, mean ± SD
7.33 ± 0.05
BE, mean ± SD
−3.87 ± 3.3 mmol/L
Lactate
2.52 mmol/L
Strong ion gap (SIG), median, vs 6.0 at baseline
9.8 mmol/L v 6.0 at baseline
p < 0.001
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Acid-base status by POD 1
- pH normalised by POD 1; elevated SIG indicated unmeasured anions contributed to early acidosis independent of hyperlactatemia
- Alactic base excess revealed persistent non-lactic metabolic derangements
Original publication
Acid-Base Disturbances After Cardiac Surgery: A Cohort Study Using the Physicochemical Approach. J Cardiothorac Vasc Anesth. Published 15 September 2025. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →