COMPLICATIONS WITHIN THE FIRST 72 HOURS AFTER OPEN-HEART SURGERY AND ASSOCIATED FACTORS: A TWO-YEAR RETROSPECTIVE COHORT STUDY

Authors

  • Teepatad Chintapanyakun Department of Nursing Service, Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University
  • Siwaphan Yutthasaen Department of Nursing Service, Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University
  • Waranya Phopasert Department of Nursing Service, Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University
  • Kessara Thikheaw Department of Nursing Service, Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University
  • Suchart Chaiyaroj Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University

Keywords:

open-heart surgery, post-cardiac surgery patients, postoperative cardiac complications

Abstract

The purpose of this retrospective cohort study was to explore the relationship and factors influencing postoperative complications among patients undergoing open-heart surgery within the first 72 hours. The sample consisted of 345 patients who had undergone open-heart surgery and were admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) at Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, between January 1, 2019, and December 31, 2020. Participants were selected using simple random sampling. Data collection instruments included record forms comprising 1) demographic information, 2) comorbidities, and 3) postoperative complications occurring within the first 72 hours after surgery. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson’s product-moment correlation, and hierarchical multiple regression analysis. 

The results revealed that the three most common complications among patients undergoing open-heart surgery within the first 72 hours were cardiac arrhythmias (90.72%), myocardial damage (75.94%), and acute kidney injury (50.14%, respectively. Age, comorbidities, New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional classification, cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) times, and aortic cross-clamp time were moderately positively correlated with complications within the first 72 hours (r = .492, r = .472, r = .375, r = .413, and r = .357, respectively; p < .05). In contrast, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was moderately negatively correlated with complications (r = -.350, p < .05). Additionally, age, comorbidities, NYHA classification, LVEF, CPB time, and aortic cross-clamp time significantly predicted postoperative complications within the first 72 hours, accounting for 41.3% of the variance (R2 = .413, p < .05). 

These findings suggest that critical care nurses providing postoperative care for cardiac surgery patients can develop nursing care plans based on preoperative and intraoperative clinical data to prevent potential early complications following open-heart surgery in the ICU setting. 

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COMPLICATIONS WITHIN THE FIRST 72 HOURS

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Published

2025-12-20

How to Cite

Chintapanyakun, T., Yutthasaen, S. ., Phopasert, W. ., Thikheaw, K. ., & Chaiyaroj, S. . (2025). COMPLICATIONS WITHIN THE FIRST 72 HOURS AFTER OPEN-HEART SURGERY AND ASSOCIATED FACTORS: A TWO-YEAR RETROSPECTIVE COHORT STUDY . JOURNAL OF THE POLICE NURSES AND HEALTH SCIENCE, 17(2), 268–282. retrieved from https://he01.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/policenurse/article/view/282181

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Research Articles