Cardiothoracic & vascular anaesthesia
Epidemiology, clinical outcomes and risk factors for mortality and severe postoperative complications in cardiac surgery patients admitted to intensive care units in Brazil: a multicentre observational study
Authors' conclusion
In this multicentre cohort of cardiac surgery patients in Brazil, one in three experienced early mortality or severe postoperative complications, mostly within the first 24 h.
Study context
- Population
- Adults (≥18 yr) undergoing coronary, valvular or percutaneous cardiac surgery requiring postoperative ICU admission, Brazil91% open-heart
- Participants
- 528 adults
- Outcome
- Early mortality or severe postoperative complications
Methodological detailsmulticentre, 11 Brazilian hospitals, Enrolment September 2023 to March 2025
- Multicentre
- 11 Brazilian hospitals
- Enrolment September 2023 to March 2025
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Odds ratio (95% CI)P value
Prior stroke
3.22(1.02–10.17)
P = 0.046Preoperative thrombocytopenia
2.83(1.46–5.48)
P = 0.002Open-heart surgery
6.34(1.66–24.21)
P = 0.007Biological valves
3.94(1.18–11.31)
P = 0.026- Early mortality or severe postoperative complications, among 528 patients
- 170 (32%)
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Early postoperative markers of clinical deterioration (OR [95% CI])
| OR (95% CI) | P value | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Higher SOFA score on day 0 | 1.35 (1.19–1.53) | P < 0.001 | |
| Lower arterial pH on day 0 | 0.53 (0.34–0.83) | P = 0.006 | |
| Vasoplegia | 15.35 (6.05–38.94) | P < 0.001 | |
| 0.050.21520Odds ratio (log scale) |
Most frequent complications
- Severe haemodynamic instability
- 126, 24%
- ARDS
- 71, 13%
Timing of events
- Events on day of ICU admission
- 132 of 170, 78%
Risk factors for the primary outcome (OR [95% CI])
- Generalised linear mixed-effects models
Parts of this Brief are withheld: the automatic checks could not confirm them against the abstract.
Original publication
Epidemiology, clinical outcomes and risk factors for mortality and severe postoperative complications in cardiac surgery patients admitted to intensive care units in Brazil: a multicentre observational study. BJA Open. Published 12 August 2026. doi:10.
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