Incidence and Outcomes of Laryngeal Complications Following Adult Cardiac Surgery: A National Analysis.
Arjun Verma, Joseph Hadaya, Zachary Tran and 6 others
PMID 34676486WHAT IT FOUND
Laryngeal complications after cardiac surgery affect 1.7% of patients.
They do not increase mortality but are linked to more pneumonia, longer stays, and higher costs. Risk rises with age, female sex, and complex valve operations, while high-volume hospitals see fewer cases.
Key findings
01The incidence of postoperative laryngeal complications was 1.7% overall, rising from 1.5% in 2010 to 1.8% in 2017.
02Patients with laryngeal complications had higher rates of pneumonia, tracheostomy, prolonged ventilation, and readmission, but no significant difference in in-hospital mortality after adjustment.
03Advanced age, female sex, and multi-valve operations were associated with increased odds of laryngeal complications, while treatment at high-volume hospitals was associated with reduced odds.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study is retrospective and relies on ICD codes, which may lead to underreporting of laryngeal complications due to lack of standardized screening. The database does not provide information on the timing of diagnosis, so it cannot distinguish between pre-existing and post-operative voice or swallowing issues. Clinical variables such as operative time, intraoperative events, and specific diagnostic modalities used were not available for analysis. The association with teaching hospitals may reflect identification bias rather than true risk, as these centers may have more rigorous diagnostic capabilities.
Declared interests
None reported.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that laryngeal complications directly cause mortality. The study found no significant association between these complications and in-hospital death after adjusting for other factors, even though patients with complications had worse outcomes like pneumonia and longer stays.