Early Post-surgical Measures Improve Outcomes in Orhtopedic Patients

Long-term cardiac outcomes of orthopedic surgery patients are greatly associated with the quality of immediate postoperative care, according to a study published in the journal Anesthesiology.

The lead author, Dr. Sylvain Ausset, MD, from Percy Military Hospital in Calmart, France and colleagues, “sought an indicator that would be quickly and easily available” in determining the impact of surgery on these patients, he said, in a press release.

The researcher’s study was conducted over a three-year period and included 378 orthopedic surgical patients. The team measured the patients’ Troponin levels on the first three days after surgery to determine if there was any correlation between raised levels and long-tern cardiac outcomes. Troponin levels were examined to detect myocardial ischemia which correlates with worse long-term cardiac outcomes.

Next, the team modified postoperative care to prevent increased episodes of myocardial ischemia based on raised Troponin levels. They found that reducing the incidence of myocardial ischemia was an important step in lowering the incidence of cardiac problems months and years later. Ausset suggested this concept be utilized in the immediate post-surgical care of orthopedic patients.

“An improvement of quality of postoperative care results in a two-fold decrease of postoperative myocardial ischemia and a four-fold decrease of major cardiac events later on,” Dr. Ausset said, in a press release.

http://www.newswise.com/articles/quality-of-perioperative-care-has-major-impact-on-long-term-outcome-of-orthopedic-surgery-patients