Saha S, et al. - This study assessed if central venous oxygen saturation (ScvO₂) changes would serve as predictors of pericardial tamponade (PT) following cardiac surgery. Findings demonstrated that following cardiac operation, deteriorations in ScvO₂ might serve as an early marker of PT.

Methods

• Researchers analyzed ScvO₂ and arterial lactate levels in retrospectively identified 66 consecutive patients during an 8-h time interval preceding pericardiotomy due to pericardial tamponade (PT), and at equivalent time points in 30 control patients (C) who had an uncomplicated course.

Results

• Data reported that the median age of the patients was 74 years (interquartile range, 63–78).
• It was noted that 3 % of procedures were re-operations.
• The baseline values of PT and C patients did not differ.
• Findings demonstrated that pericardiotomy was performed on average 1 day (0–3.5) after cardiac surgery.
• Researchers observed a significant decline (p < 0.001) to lower ScvO₂ levels (p < 0.001) and a significant increase (p = 0.005) to higher arterial lactate levels (p = 0.019) in PT patients during the 8-h preceding pericardiotomy, whereas this was not exhibited by C patients (p = 0.440 and p = 0.279, respectively).
• An association of PT with a longer hospital stay (p = 0.04) and a higher in-hospital mortality (p = 0.008) was evident.
• Researchers also observed that an ScvO₂ decline below 60% (p = 0.018), a delta ScvO₂ decline greater than 5% (p = 0.001), and a delta lactate increase greater than 0.18 mmol/l (p = 0.002) during the 8-h preceding pericardiotomy were independently associated with PT.
• In addition, in-hospital mortality was predicted by none of these parameters.