The Effect of Preoperative Hematocrit Levels on Early Outcomes After Coronary Artery Bypass Graft

Introduction Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) is the most potent of surgical procedures; in this procedure, the narrowing of the coronary artery due to atherosclerotic plaque is bypassed by forming an alternate route for blood flow to the heart. There are various risk factors associated with the procedure. The aim of this study was to observe if postoperative outcomes are affected by preoperative hematocrit (hct) levels in patients. Methods This longitudinal study was conducted from April 2019 to December 2019. Eighty-two ( 82) participants who were to undergo CABG surgery were divided into two groups based on their preoperative hct levels. Group 1 had 42 participants with lower levels of hct (less than 35.5% for women and 38.3% for men), whereas group 2 consisted of 40 participants with normal hct levels (greater than 35.5% for women and 38.3% for men). Results The results showed that participants undergoing CABG with lower than normal hct levels had increased blood loss through drainage as compared to participants who had normal hct levels (680.1 +/- 301 mL vs. 500.7 +/- 412 mL; p-value: 0.02). Group 1 participants also had an increased need for blood and blood product transfusion as compared to group 2 (3.2 +/- 1.8 units vs. 1.8 +/- 0.9 units; p-value: <0.0001). Furthermore, the participants in group 1 had longer stays in the ICU relative to the other group (5.2 +/- 3.1 days vs. 3.4 +/- 2.5 days; p-value: 0.003). Conclusion Based on our findings, patients who undergo CABG surgery with lower than normal hct levels are at increased risk of certain complications, including excessive blood loss, need for transfusion, and increased duration of ICU stay. Therefore, preoperative hct levels should be routinely checked in patients undergoing CABG to prevent these complications.