Implementation of a Clinical Screening and Response System for Cardiac Complications After Noncardiac Surgery

Background: Perioperative myocardial infarction/injury (PMI) is increasingly recognised as frequent, but often undiagnosed and untreated contributor to mortality following noncardiac surgery. Due to differences in pathophysiology and perioperative anaesthesia and analgesia, most PMI do not cause typical ischemic symptoms and are therefore missed in routine clinical practice. Active surveillance using cardiac troponin (cTn) is now guideline-recommended for the early detection of PMI to possibly improve outcome1. Given substantial concerns regarding the feasibility and health economic impact of implementing such a strategy, it is not yet widely applied.

Aim: to show feasibility of implementation as well as health economic impact of an active surveillance for the early detection of PMI in high-risk patients.

Methodology: in this observational before-after study the investigators will enrol patients at high cardiovascular risk undergoing noncardiac surgery before and after implementation of a PMI screening. Patients in the pre-implementation phase will receive standard of care, while in the post-implementation phase patients receive a PMI-screening, consisting of a preoperative and two postoperative measurements of high-sensitivity cTn (hs-cTn) and a cardiology consultation will be done in case of detection of a PMI. Patient data, resource utilisation, and PMI-aetiology will be collected. Interviews with key stakeholders will identify barriers to implementation. One-year follow-up will be conducted to evaluate occurrence of death, MACE, and safety endpoints.

Potential significance: This study will generate important insights regarding the feasibility, safety and the health economic impact of implementing an active surveillance for the early detection of PMI.

Inclusion criteria

• Consecutive patients fulfilling the institutional criteria for inclusion into the routine PMI-screening
• aged 40-85 years
• at increased cardiovascular risk
• undergoing inpatient, noncardiac, elective or emergent surgery
• postoperative stay of ≥2 nights at the participating institution
• orthopaedic, traumatology, vascular, spinal, thoracic, neurosurgical, and visceral surgery.

Exclusion criteria

• patients with cardiac surgery or interventions in the last 14 days
• chronic renal failure under dialysis, renal transplant surgery
• moderate-to-severe dementia
• previous inclusion within 5 days
• documented refusal to use of their data for research purposes or refusal of further use during follow-up
• Patients declining consent for follow-up will be excluded from follow-up analyses.