CASUS and APACHE II score in predicting mortality after coronary artery bypass grafting

BACKGROUND: This study aims to compare Cardiac Surgery Score (CASUS) and the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE II) scoring systems for predicting mortality in patients undergoing isolated coronary artery bypass grafting. METHODS: Between January 2019 and March 2019, a total of 204 patients (166 males, 38 females; mean age: 60.5±0.7 years; range, 59.2 to 61.9 years) who underwent isolated coronary artery bypass grafting and were monitored at least for 24 h in the intensive care unit postoperatively were included. Pre-, intra-, and postoperative data were recorded. The CASUS and APACHE II scores were calculated using the most abnormal values for each variable during the first 24 h, postoperatively. Clinical outcomes were seven-day mortality and 30-day mortality, need for reintubation, readmission to the intensive care unit, length of intensive care unit stay and length of hospital stay. RESULTS: The 30-day overall mortality was 4.9% (n=10). The CASUS scores were significantly higher for patients developing mortality within 30 days postoperatively (p=0.030) and for patients needing reintubation (p=0.003). In the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis predicting seven-day mortality and prolonged intensive care unit stay, the area under curve was higher for CASUS scoring compared to APACHE II (0.90 vs. 0.72 and 0.82 vs. 0.76). CONCLUSION: The CASUS may prove to be a more reliable scoring system than APACHE II for predicting mortality and morbidity in patients undergoing isolated coronary artery bypass grafting.