Predictors of Post Pericardiotomy Low Cardiac Output Syndrome in Patients With Pericardial Effusion

Introduction: Pathological involvement of pericardium by any disease that resulting in effusion may require decompression and pericardiectomy. The current article describes rare patients with effusion who after pericadiectomy and transient hemodynamic improvement rapidly developed progressive heart failure and subsequent multi organ failure. Methods: During periods of five years, 423 patients in our hospital underwent pericardiotomy for decompression of effusion. The clinical characteristics of those patient with postoperative low cardiac output (B group) (14 cases) recorded and compared with other patients without this postoperative complication (A group) by test and X2. Significant variables in invariables (P≤0.1) entered in logistic regression analysis and odd ratio of these significant variables obtained. Results: Idiopathic pericardial effusion, malignancy, renal failure, connective tissue disease, viral pericarditis was found in 125 patients (27%), 105 patients (25.4%), 65 patients (15.6%), 50 (17.1%) and 10 (2.4%) of patients subsequently. The factors that predict post-operative death in logistic regression analysis were malignancy, radiotherapy, constrictive pericarditis inotropic drug using IABP using, pre-operative EF and pericardial calcification. Conclusion: Certain preoperative variables such as malignancy, radiotherapy, low EF, calcified pericardium and connective tissue disease are associated with POLCOS and post-operative risk of death. This paradoxical response to pericardial decompression may be more frequent than currently appreciated. Its cause may relate to the sudden removal of the chronic external ventricular support from the effusion or thicken pericardium resulting in ventricular dilatation and failure or intra operative myocardial injury due to pericardiectomy of calcified pericardium, radiation and cardiomyopathy.