Disability after cardiac surgery is the major predictor of infections occurring in the rehabilitation phase

Abstract

In a large cohort of patients, residual disability after cardiac surgery was the strongest independent predictor of infections. Disability is readily accessible, and can be used to recognize patients at higher risk of infections. The 10.9% rate of major infections observed after discharge from the surgical department confirms the importance of prolonging infection surveillance after discharge from the cardiac surgery department.

The perioperative dental screening and management of patients undergoing cardiothoracic, vascular surgery and other cardiovascular invasive procedures: A systematic review

“…Dental diseases are the most common illnesses in the world; furthermore, chronic oral infections such as periodontitis are now considered an independent risk factor for the onset of cardiovascular disease (CVD), and an increasing number of studies are associating the presence of apical periodontitis (endodontic infection) with the risk of CVD. 1–4 These are the reasons why, in recent years, there has been increased attention towards oral health.…”

Five-year hospitalisations and survival in patients admitted to inpatient cardiac rehabilitation after cardiac surgery

“…The baseline data of the study population and the major complications during the rehabilitation period have previously been reported. 6,7 This study has been approved by our institutional review board; an informed consent to collection and analysis of anonymised clinical data was signed by all patients.…”

“…However, all patients were prospectively and consecutively admitted to our rehabilitation facility after cardiac surgery and all data were prospectively recorded. 6,7 We have information on the early postoperative period only in patients who were successively admitted to our department; hence, we do not have enough data to draw inferences on the degree of disability before the intervention or on predictors of disability after the intervention.…”

Editor’s presentation

“…11,12 This is also in keeping with previous evidence that comorbidity predicts outcomes also after cardiac surgery. 13…”