SERUM LACTATE AS A BIOMARKER OF MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY IN THE POSTOPERATIVE PERIOD OF CARDIOVASCULAR SURGERY

Abstract

The present study aims to analyze blood lactate as a biomarker of morbidity and mortality in patients who have undergone cardiovascular surgery, being able to improve their attention, care and possible prevention of adverse events. The study is retrospective, descriptive, bibliographic and documentary, carried out through the analysis of medical records of 194 individuals aged between 25 and 82 years who underwent cardiovascular surgery, attended by Hospital São Lucas in the city of Cascavel/PR, in the years 2022 and 2023. Serum lactate levels were associated with total length of stay, length of stay in the ICU and intra- or post-operative complications, thus analyzing the importance of lactate for the clinical outcome. 194 medical records were analyzed to study the complications that occurred in patients. Based on these complications, patients were divided into three groups: those who did not experience any complications and were subsequently discharged, those who had some complications and were also discharged later, and those who had complications that resulted in death. In the group without complications, lactate presented an average below the limit considered high, demonstrating a decreasing trend after the procedure. In the group of patients with complications, a slightly higher increase was observed compared to the first group, followed by a progressive decrease until discharge. On the other hand, in the third group, lactate showed a significant increase, reaching levels considered high, with continuous growth until the patient's death. The analysis of morbidity and mortality in patients undergoing cardiovascular surgery revealed the influence of lactate as a clinical indicator, as the results obtained from the analysis of the three groups of patients show significant differences in clinical outcomes and trends observed in relation to complications.