Open AccessPerioperative Ventricular Dysrhythmias in Patients with Structural Heart Disease Undergoing Noncardiac Surgery
Author(s) -
Elisabeth Mahla,
B. Rotman,
Peter Rehak,
John L. Atlee,
Hans Gombotz,
Johann Berger,
W. F. List,
W. Klein,
H. Metzler
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
anesthesia and analgesia/anesthesia and analgesia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.404
H-Index - 201
eISSN - 1526-7598
pISSN - 0003-2999
DOI - 10.1097/00000539-199801000-00004
Subject(s) - medicine , perioperative , heart disease , heart failure , cardiology , anesthesia , adverse effect , ventricular tachycardia , cardiac surgery , prospective cohort study , electrocardiography , surgery
Noncardiac surgical patients with preoperative ventricular dysrhythmias and structural heart disease may be at increased risk of adverse cardiac outcome. We evaluated how anesthesia and surgery affect the course of ventricular dysrhythmias (premature ventricular beats [PVB] and repetitive forms of ventricular beats [RFVB]: couplets and nonsustained ventricular tachycardia) noted preoperatively in patients with structural heart disease and whether the frequency of ventricular dysrhythmias affects cardiac outcome. In a prospective study, 70 patients scheduled for noncardiac surgery with structural heart disease and RFVB on preoperative Holter electrocardiogram were continuously monitored intraoperatively and for 3 days postoperatively. Holter tracings were analyzed for rhythm, medians of total PVB and RFVB per hour. Preoperative RFVB recurred intraoperatively in 35% and postoperatively in 87% of patients. There was a significant intra- and postoperative decrease of total PVB per hour (P < 0.05) and RFVB per hour (P < 0.01). Frequency of ventricular dysrhythmias in the five patients suffering adverse outcome (unstable angina, n = 1; congestive heart failure, n = 4) did not significantly differ from those with good outcome. We conclude that in noncardiac surgical patients with structural heart disease and RFVB, the frequency of ventricular dysrhythmias is not associated with adverse cardiac outcome.