Bilehjani E, et al. – This study evaluated the preoperative routine measurement of erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) in patients awaiting major surgery. In patients undergone elective heart surgery, elevated preoperative ESR did not cancel or defer the ­surgery, nor did it assist diagnose a new, previously undiagnosed disease. In addition, no effect of it was reported on postoperative morbidity or mortality rate, generally. It can increase postoperative intensive care unit (ICU) and hospital stay when increased to ≥40 mm/h. Ultimately, routine preoperative ESR measurement in patients was not conducive to elective heart surgery.

Methods

• Researchers performed a retrospective study to assess the medical files of 620 patients.
• This study included patients older than 18 years, who had undergone elective heart surgery in researchers' hospital in 2014.
• They collected and analyzed the data associated with demography, heart disease diagnosis, type of surgery, significant preoperative tests, delay or postponing of surgery and the reason for it, type and characteristics of the subspecialty consultation, and finally, postoperative complication and mortality rate.
• They classified patients into 4 groups according to ESR value: normal (<15 mm/h in females or <20 mm/h in males), moderately increased (<40 mm/h), severely increased (≥40 mm/h), and not measured.

Results

• Data showed that out of the 620 patients’ files, 402 were of males and 218 were of females.
• Researchers noted that demographic values and preoperative characteristics were similar in the four groups.
• Findings demonstrated that a total of 105 consultations were given to 79 patients preoperatively, where only in five cases, the elevation in ESR was the main reason for consultation.
• In no other cases did the consultations result in new diagnoses.
• Overall, data indicated that postoperative complication and mortality rate were the same in all four groups; in severely increased ESR group, on the other hand, the need for long periods of intensive care unit (ICU) and hospital stays was higher than that of other groups.