Occurrence of Low Cardiac Index During Normotensive Periods in Cardiac Surgery

BACKGROUND:

Continuous cardiac output monitoring is not standard practice during cardiac surgery, even though patients are at substantial risk for systemic hypoperfusion. Thus, the frequency of low cardiac output during cardiac surgery is unknown.

METHODS:

We conducted a prospective cohort study at a tertiary medical center from July 2021 to November 2023. Eligible patients were ≥18 undergoing isolated coronary bypass (CAB) surgery with the use of cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Cardiac output indexed to body surface area (CI) was continuously recorded at 5-second intervals throughout surgery using a US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved noninvasive monitor from the arterial blood pressure waveform. Mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) and central venous pressure (CVP) were also analyzed. Low CI was defined as <2 L/min/m² and low MAP as <65 mm Hg. We calculated time with low CI for each patient for the entire surgery, pre-CPB and post-CPB periods, and the proportion of time with low CI and normal MAP. We used Pearson correlation to evaluate the relationship between CI and MAP and paired Wilcoxon rank sum tests to assess the difference in correlations of CI with MAP before and after CPB.

RESULTS:

In total, 101 patients were analyzed (age [standard deviation, SD] 64.8 [9.8] years, 25% female). Total intraoperative time (mean [SD]) with low CI was 86.4 (62) minutes, with 61.2 (42) minutes of low CI pre-CPB and 25.2 (31) minutes post-CPB. Total intraoperative time with low CI and normal MAP was 66.5 (56) minutes, representing mean (SD) 69% (23%) of the total time with low CI; 45.8 (38) minutes occurred pre-CPB and 20.6 (27) minutes occurred post-CPB. Overall, the correlation (mean [SD]) between CI and MAP was 0.33 (0.31), and the correlation was significantly higher pre-CPB (0.53 [0.32]) than post-CPB (0.29 [0.28], 95% confidence interval [CI] for difference [0.18–0.34], P < .001); however, there was substantial heterogeneity among participants in correlations of CI with MAP before and after CPB. Secondary analyses that accounted for CVP did not alter the correlation between CI and MAP. Exploratory analyses suggested duration of low CI (C <2 L/min/m²) was associated with increased risk of postoperative acute kidney injury (odds ratios [ORs] = 1.09; 95% CI; 1.01–1.13; P = .018).

CONCLUSIONS:

In a prospective cohort of patients undergoing CAB surgery, low CI was common even when blood pressure was normal. CI and MAP were correlated modestly. Correlation was higher before than after CPB with substantial heterogeneity among individuals. Future studies are needed to examine the independent relation of low CI to postoperative kidney injury and other adverse outcomes related to hypoperfusion.