1 The Role of Head Computed Tomography Imaging in the Evaluation of Postoperative Neurologic Deficits in Cardiac Surgery Patients Claude A. Beaty, MD, George J. Arnaoutakis, MD, Maura A. Grega, MSN, Chase W. Robinson, BA, Timothy J. George, MD, William A. Baumgartner, MD, Rebecca F. Gottesman, MD, PhD, Guy M. McKhann, MD, Duke E. Cameron, MD, and Glenn J. Whitman, MD Division of Cardiac Surgery and Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, Maryland Background. Computed tomography (CT) scans of the head without contrast are routinely obtained to evaluate neurologic deficits after cardiac surgery, but their utility is unknown. We evaluated our experience with this imaging modality to determine its value. Methods. We retrospectively identified cardiac surgery patients with postoperative neurologic deficits occurring during the first week after surgery between January 2000 and December Stroke was defined by neurologist s determination, whereas a nonfocal deficit (NFD) was defined by the presence of seizure, delirium, or cognitive impairment. We defined early noncontrast head CT as occurring within 7 days of surgery. Outcomes included positive findings on CT, in-hospital mortality, and length of stay. Multivariate logistic regression identified predictors of positive findings on head CT. Results. Within the population of 11,070 postoperative patients, 451 had early noncontrast head CT scans (4%). Two hundred two (44.7%) were associated with stroke, and 249 (55.2%) were associated with NFD. Among stroke patients, 40 of 202 (20%) showed acute infarction, 17 of 202 (8%) showed subacute infarction, and 5 of 202 (2%) showed hemorrhage. Among NFD patients, 1 of 248 (0.4%) showed acute infarction, 4 of 248 (1.6%) showed subacute infarction, and 1 of 248 (0.4%) showed hemorrhage. There was no difference in in-hospital mortality (stroke, 42 of 201 [21%] versus NFD, 41 of 248 [16%]; p 0.2) or length of stay (stroke, 24 d versus NFD, 22 d; p 0.5). On multivariable logistic regression, only focal deficits and aortic procedures predicted a positive finding on CT scan. Conclusions. This study reviewed the utility of early postoperative noncontrast head CT in cardiac surgery patients. With focal neurologic deficits, this imaging modality was positive for approximately one third of patients, but rarely positive for NFD. Its use in this setting has limited utility. (Ann Thorac Surg 2013;95:548 54) 2013 by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Neurologic deficits (ND) after cardiac surgery (CS) are a devastating problem, with an incidence that varies widely from 25% to 79%. Focal deficits occur in as many as 6% of some series [1 12]. Risk factors for postoperative neurologic dysfunction include age and history of cerebrovascular disease, atherosclerosis, and diabetes [1, 5, 7, 8, 13, 14]. In addition to patient risk factors, intraoperative events involving microemboli from the bypass circuit, air, intracardiac thrombi or debrided tissue, and aortic atheroma released during cross-clamping, as well as global hypoperfusion, have all been implicated as etiologies of postoperative neurovascular complications [3, 7, 8, 12, 15 19]. Although previous studies have examined the etiology, incidence, and risk factors associated with neurologic dysfunction after CS, few have examined the sensitivity Accepted for publication Nov 6, Address correspondence to Dr Whitman, Division of Cardiac Surgery, The Johns Hopkins Hospital, 1800 Orleans St, Zayed 7107, Baltimore, MD 21287; of diagnostic modalities, in particular noncontrast computed tomography (CT) scans of the head, in the early postoperative period ( 7 days postoperative). The purpose of this study was to assess the utility of early noncontrast head CT scans after CS. Patients and Methods Patient Data We retrospectively reviewed our prospectively maintained database to identify patients who experienced new postoperative NDs evaluated by a noncontrast CT scan of the head between January 2000 and December All adult ( 16 years) postoperative CS patients were eligible, with no exclusions based on procedure type. We examined the records of all patients found to have new postoperative NDs assessed within 7 days of surgery by a noncontrast head CT. Patients whose first head CT occurred more than 7 days postoperatively were excluded from the analysis. All pertinent data (demographic information, comorbidities, operative data, and 2013 by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons /$36.00 Published by Elsevier Inc
2 Ann Thorac Surg BEATY ET AL 2013;95: HEAD CT AFTER CARDIAC SURGERY 549 postoperative data) were extracted from the medical record. This study methodology was approved by the Johns Hopkins Medicine Institutional Review Board. Stratification Patients were stratified into two categories. Patients with focal ND on a physician s neurologic examination and a physician diagnosis of stroke were classified as having a stroke. Patients who experienced evidence of a seizure, cognitive impairment, agitation, or delirium in the absence of a focal deficit, as evidenced by daily rounding reports composed by nurses and nurse practitioners, were classified as having a nonfocal deficit (NFD). All outcomes compared data using this stratification. Outcomes The primary end point was the presence of a new radiographic finding on early noncontrast head CT. Such findings included evidence of ischemic infarct, embolic infarct, and hemorrhage. Secondary end points included in-hospital mortality, length of stay (LOS), time to neurologic consult, time to head CT, patient final disposition, and the type of radiographic finding associated with the neurologic injury. Subgroup analysis stratified by time to head CT within the 7-day period was also performed. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify clinical variables predictive of a positive imaging study. Statistical Analysis Baseline differences in demographic and operative variables among injury classifications were compared using the Student s t test for normally distributed continuous variables. These variables are presented as the mean and standard deviation. Continuous variables that were not normally distributed were compared with the Wilcoxon rank-sum test and presented with median and interquartile ranges. Fisher s exact test or 2 analysis was used for categorical variables. Categorical variables are shown in numbers and percentages. Postoperative outcomes were compared according to neurologic injury stratification using Student s t test or 2 analysis as appropriate. To examine the predictive effect of clinical variables for positive radiographic findings on noncontrast CT scan, we estimated the odds ratio by constructing multivariable logistic regression models. To construct our model, variables associated with each outcome on exploratory univariate analysis (p 0.2), those with biologic plausibility, and those with previous literature support were incorporated in a forward and backward stepwise fashion. The likelihood ratio test and the Akaike information criterion were used in a nested model approach to identify covariates that increased the explanatory power of the model. This method favors a more parsimonious model. Odds ratios are presented with 95% confidence intervals. Probability values of less than 0.05 were deemed significant. Analysis was performed using Stata/IC 11.2 software (StataCorp, College Station, TX). Results Cohort Characteristics Of the 11,070 patients operated upon during the study period, 675 (6.1%) experienced postoperative neurologic symptoms evaluated by a noncontrast head CT. Of these patients, 451 (67%) patients underwent early CT scans ( 7 days postoperatively) and comprised our patient cohort. Their mean age was years, and 274 (61%) were male. Three hundred forty (76%) patients had a history of hypertension, and 148 (33%) had a history of diabetes. Sixty (13%) patients were active smokers at the time of their operation. One hundred forty (31%) isolated coronary artery bypass grafting procedures were performed. A redo sternotomy was required in 28 (6%) patients. Mean cardiopulmonary bypass time was minutes, and an intraaortic balloon pump was placed in 81 (18%) patients. Positive radiographic findings were identified in 75 (17%) early noncontrast head CT scans. Of these, acute strokes occurred in 41 (55%) patients, subacute strokes in 21 (28%) patients, and hemorrhagic strokes in 6 (8.0%) patients. In-hospital mortality was 18%. Median LOS was 16 days (interquartile range, 9 to 29 days). Stratified Cohort Characteristics Cohort stratification by type of neurologic injury revealed 202 (45%) stroke patients and 249 (55%) NFD patients. Most baseline characteristics were similar between the two groups. However, stroke patients were less likely to have a seizure history (stroke, 0.5% versus NFD, 3.6%; p 0.03) than NFD patients (Table 1). Outcomes Stratification by stroke versus NFD showed stroke patients were significantly more likely to have radiographic findings in their noncontrast head CT scans compared with NFD patients (69 of 202 [34%] versus 6 of 249 [2%]; p 0.001). There was no difference in in-hospital mortality between the stroke and NFD groups (42 of 201 [21%] versus 41 of 248 [17%]; p 0.24). Similarly, no difference was demonstrated in LOS between the stroke and NFD groups (median, 15 days; interquartile range, 9 to 32 days versus median, 16.5 days; interquartile range, 10 to 27.5 days; p 0.97). However, stroke patients were less likely to be discharged to home. Stroke patients were more likely to receive a neurologic consult (stroke, 95% versus NFD, 51%; p 0.01) and received a head CT sooner than NFD patients (stroke, versus NFD, ; p 0.01; Table 2). Analysis of the types of radiographic findings, as seen by CT scan, associated with each classification of neurologic injury demonstrated that stroke patients had more acute infarcts (40 of 199 [20.10%] versus 1 of 239 [0.42%]; p 0.001) and more subacute infarcts than NFD patients (17 of 199 [8.54%] versus 4 of 239 [1.67%]; p 0.001). There was no significant difference in the number of hemorrhages seen between the two groups (Table 3). Subgroup analysis revealed no significant difference in any radio-
3 550 BEATY ET AL Ann Thorac Surg HEAD CT AFTER CARDIAC SURGERY 2013;95: Table 1. Demographic, Comorbidity, and Operative Characteristics by Injury Classification Variable a S(n 202) NFD (n 249) p Value b Demographics and comorbidities Age (y) Male sex 115 of 201 (57.21%) 15 of 248 (64.11%) 0.14 Height (cm) Weight (kg) Body mass index (kg/m 2 ) Diabetes 68 of 201 (33.83%) 80 of 247 (32.39%) 0.75 Hypertension 157 of 201 (78.11%) 183 of 247 (74.09%) 0.32 Hypercholesterolemia 107 of 201 (53.23%) 130 of 247 (52.63%) 0.90 Peripheral vascular disease 37 of 201 (18.41%) 37 of 248 (14.92%) 0.32 Current tobacco use 23 of 201 (11.44%) 37 of 247 (14.98%) 0.27 Myocardial infarction 74 of 201 (36.82%) 85 of 247 (34.41%) 0.60 Cerebrovascular disease 34 of 201 (16.92%) 40 of 248 (16.13%) 0.82 Syncope 3 of 202 (1.49%) 6 of 249 (2.41%) 0.74 Seizure 1 of 202 (0.50%) 9 of 249 (3.61%) 0.03 Headache 3 of 202 (1.49%) 2 of 249 (0.80%) 0.66 Head trauma 1 of 202 (0.50%) 0 of 249 (0%) 0.45 Depression 14 of 202 (6.93%) 28 of 249 (11.24%) 0.12 Creatinine (mg/dl) Operative statistics Procedure type CABG 64 of 201 (31.84%) 76 of 248 (30.65%) AVR 16 of 201 (7.96%) 27 of 248 (10.89%) VAD or transplant 16 of 201 (7.96%) 22 of 248 (8.87%) Aortic procedure 33 of 201 (16.42%) 30 of 248 (12.10%) Mitral valve 17 of 201 (8.46%) 21 of 248 (8.47%) Combined valve 46 of 201 (22.89%) 55 of 248 (22.18%) Other 9 of 201 (4.48%) 17 of 248 (6.85%) 0.71 c CPB time (min) Cross-clamp time (min) IABP placement 37 of 201 (18.41%) 44 of 244 (18.03%) 0.92 a Continuous data presented as mean standard deviation and categorical data as number (%). or Fisher s exact test as appropriate. c Probability value for all procedure types combined. b Probability values based on Student s t test, 2 test, AVR aortic valve repair; CABG coronary artery bypass grafting; CPB cardiopulmonary bypass; IABP intraaortic balloon pump; NFD nonfocal deficit; S stroke; VAD ventricular assist device. logic finding by neurologic injury, when stratified by time to CT scan (Table 4). Multivariable logistic regression analysis to ascertain clinical variables that would increase the likelihood of positive radiographic findings on initial head CT resulted in a final model consisting of the several variables. In this model, however, only focal ND (odds ratio, 22.96; 95% confidence interval, 9.22 to 57.21; p 0.001) and aortic procedures (odds ratio, 3.02; 95% confidence interval, 1.19 to 7.65; p 0.02; Table 5) were predictive of a positive head CT finding. Comment Of the 11,070 patients operated on during the period of our study, 451 were evaluated with early noncontrast head CT scans for new NDs, for an incidence of 4%. Of these 451 patients, 202 (44.7%) had focal deficits. In this cohort of patients, positive radiographic findings occurred in 69 (34%) examinations. Of these findings, 58% were acute infarctions, 25% were subacute infarctions, and 7% showed hemorrhage. In contrast, identifiable lesions were extremely rare in the cohort of patients with NFD, as only 6 of 249 (2.4%) patients had positive findings on CT scan, and little can be concluded regarding the distribution of lesions in this cohort. The presence of radiographic findings was not affected by the timing of the CT scan. Both aortic procedures and a focal ND on physical examination were found to be predictive of positive findings on head CT. Noncontrast head CT is a common radiographic modality used for identifying the etiology of new neurologic findings after CS, particularly in patients with focal deficits [1, 2, 8, 12, 14, 20]. As opposed to magnetic resonance imaging, CT is relatively rapid, cheap, and widely available [21, 22]. In addition, CT is able to
4 Ann Thorac Surg BEATY ET AL 2013;95: HEAD CT AFTER CARDIAC SURGERY 551 Table 2. Postoperative Outcome Variables by Injury Classification Variable a S(n 202) NFD (n 249) p Value b Radiographic findings 69 of 202 (34.16%) 6 of 249 (2.41%) 0.01 In-hospital mortality 42 of 201 (20.90%) 41 of 248 (16.53%) 0.24 LOS (days) 15 [9 32] 16.5 [ ] 0.97 Neurologic consult 191 of 201 (95.02%) 127 of 248 (51.21%) 0.01 Time to head CT (days) Disposition Home 55 of 198 (27.78%) 114 of 239 (47.70%) 0.01 Rehabilitation, nursing home, or subacute 96 of 198 (48.48%) 84 of 239 (35.15%) 0.01 facility Other 47 of 198 (23.74%) 41 of 239 (17.15%) 0.09 a Continuous data presented as median [interquartile range] or mean standard deviation, and categorical data as number (%). based on Student s t test, Wilcoxon rank-sum test, 2 test, or Fisher s exact test as appropriate. CT computed tomography; LOS length of stay; NFD nonfocal deficit; S stroke. b Probability values identify most significant intracranial pathologic dysfunctions. Although its resolution is lower than that of magnetic resonance imaging, specifically in soft tissue contrast, the use of a narrow window width helps to increase the detection of more subtle lesions . Noncontrast CT is primarily used to determine the presence of hemorrhagic stroke while simultaneously ruling out neoplasms or other space-occupying lesions that may mimic stroke symptoms [21, 23 26]. Although the appearance of the ischemic core after infarction is quite specific on noncontrast CT, this modality has only a 45% to 70% sensitivity in the hyperacute period ( 6 hours), as the associated early changes can be very subtle [25, 27 32]. Although few data exist that assess the utility of noncontrast head CT in the immediate analysis of a new neurologic dysfunction after CS, it is likely that this sensitivity would be similar. In the noncardiac surgical population, Lev and colleagues  reported that the sensitivity of noncontrast CT in evaluating stroke was 57% to 71%. In our study, only a third of patients with focal deficits had positive findings on head CT. One explanation for our low positivity rate may relate to the early timing of the CT scan with respect to the onset of the stroke. Frequently, in nonsurgical patients, stroke symptom onset occurs outside of the hospital, and the necessary delay between symptom onset and head CT increases the sensitivity of the imaging technique, as the injury has time to evolve. Early on, pathologic changes (eg, edema secondary to failure of cellular ion pumps  and cell death) have not Table 3. Radiographic Findings by Injury Classification Variable a S(n 202) NFD (n 249) p Value b Acute infarct 40 of 199 (20.10%) 1 of 239 (0.42%) Subacute infarct 17 of 199 (8.54%) 4 of 239 (1.67%) Hemorrhage 5 of 200 (2.50%) 1 of 239 (0.42%) a Categoric data presented as number (%). on Fisher s exact test. NFD nonfocal deficit; S stroke. b Probability values based had time to progress to a level visualized by noncontrast CT imaging, despite the fact that these patients may have a sufficient injury to present with a focal examination. However, the percentage of radiographic findings did not increase as the time to CT scan was prolonged. Unlike noncontrast scans, contrast-enhanced CT scans allow anatomic visualization of vascular stenosis and occlusions, and increase sensitivity to more than 70% in hyperacute infarcts [24, 25]. Additionally, if performed early enough in the setting of an acute infarct, they are useful in determining the benefit of thrombolytic therapy. Unfortunately, although sensitivity is improved, the addition of contrast carries risks, including acute tubular necrosis that may lead to the need for dialysis. Although the risk of contrast-induced nephropathy ranges from 5% to 6% in the chronic kidney disease literature, the specific risk in CS patients is unknown. However, upward of 30% of postoperative cardiac patients experience at least a 25% decrease in their glomerular filtration rate as a result of surgery alone [33 35]. The contraindication to thrombolytic therapy in this population, coupled with the risk of contrast-induced nephrotoxicity, mitigates against the routine use of contrast-enhanced CT in this cohort. In patients with a focal examination, 2.5% were found to have an intracerebral hemorrhage. This finding is clinically relevant, as it argues against one of the primary treatment modalities for patients with ischemic stroke, which is permissive hypertension [36 38]. In cerebral hemorrhage, this therapy is contraindicated. Secondly, a significant number of postoperative cardiac patients need anticoagulation because of the presence of atrial fibrillation, mechanical valve placement, or deep vein thrombosis. Knowledge of either an intracerebral bleed or infarct size (a risk factor for hemorrhagic conversion) might alter therapy in this population. Therefore, a noncontrast-enhanced CT scan in the face of a patient with a focal deficit may be appropriate, despite its low yield. As opposed to scans in patients with focal deficits, very few noncontrast studies were positive in patients with NFD. One explanation for this may be that given the
5 552 BEATY ET AL Ann Thorac Surg HEAD CT AFTER CARDIAC SURGERY 2013;95: Table 4. Radiographic Findings by Injury Classification Stratified by Timing of Computed Tomography Scan S(n 202) NFD (n 245) Variable a POD 4 POD 4 p Value b POD 4 POD 4 p Value b Acute infarct 29 of 145 (20%) 1 of 54 (20%) of 138 (0%) 1 of 98 (1%) 0.42 Subacute infarct 11 of 145 (8%) 6 of 54 (11%) of 138 (1%) 2 of 98 (2%) 1.0 Hemorrhage 3 of 146 (2%) 2 of 54 (4%) of 138 (0%) 1 of 98 (1%) 0.42 a Categorical data presented as number (%). NFD nonfocal deficit; POD postoperative day; S stroke. b Probability values based on 2 test or Fisher s exact test as appropriate. neurologic recovery seen in this patient population, as witnessed by the discharge rate to home of close to 50%, the cause of the neurologic abnormality may have been metabolic and reversible. However, if an ischemic event did occur, it most probably was a watershed infarct characterized by hypoperfusion to those areas of the brain that receive their blood supply from the most distal aspect of a named arterial supply, with the territory at risk being collaterally perfused. In a report by Gottesman and colleagues , CT scans were relatively insensitive in detecting regions of watershed infarction. Furthermore, although emboli are believed to be the cause of many neurologic complications after CS, it is primarily microemboli that are thought to be responsible for the diffuse cerebral dysfunction seen in many cases of NFD [3, 7, 8, 12, 16, 18, 19, 40]. These microemboli may be associated with a very subtle anatomic injury that may not be apparent on CT imaging. Additionally, our data suggest that hemorrhage in this population is extremely rare ( 1%). Therefore, although the therapeutic benefit Table 5. Multivariate Analysis to Predict New Findings on Early Head Computed Tomography Scan Variable Odds Ratio 95% CI p Value a Focal neurologic examination Age Cerebrovascular disease Seizure history Current tobacco Usage Procedure CABG 1 (Reference) AVR VAD or transplant Aortic procedure Mitral valve Combined valve Other CPB time IABP a Probability values based on multivariate logistic regression analysis. AVR aortic valve repair; CABG coronary artery bypass grafting; CI confidence interval; CPB cardiopulmonary bypass; IABP intraaortic balloon pump; VAD ventricular assist device. of permissive hypertension is unproven in this patient population, if increased afterload can be tolerated, incremental elevations in blood pressure should be implemented in all of these patients, along with collaborative input from neurology, speech and language pathology, and physical therapy where appropriate, and early imaging is unnecessary. Neural deficits are frequently devastating complications of CS. When considering all degrees of impairment, rates are reported to range from 25% to 79%, with stroke comprising up to 6.1% [1, 7, 8, 10, 11] of these patients, commensurate with our findings. Although often transient, the immediate and long-term sequelae of these postoperative NDs are shown by their associated mortality, LOS, and final disposition. In our study, mortality and LOS were similar in patients who exhibited an ND severe enough to trigger early imaging, regardless of focality. Median LOS in the stroke and NFD groups were 15 and 16.5 days, respectively, compared with a mean LOS of 12 days in patients without NDs. Nevertheless, focality impacted disposition significantly, with stroke patients discharged to home approximately 25% of the time, as opposed to 50% in the NFD group. Although many studies have shown multiple predisposing risk factors for ND including age, cerebrovascular disease history, diabetes, hypertension, and the requirement of an intraaortic balloon pump [5, 7, 8, 11 14, 16], none of these proved to be predictive for a positive early noncontrast head CT. Only focality and aortic procedures were associated with a positive finding on noncontrast CT. The data presented in this study suggest that the routine use of noncontrast head CT scan for NFDs presenting in the early postoperative period after CS is an inefficient, low-yield use of this imaging modality. In the setting of a focal deficit, CT scanning appears to help direct patient care in 33% of patients, diagnosing infarcts, hemorrhage, and lesions at risk for hemorrhage. However, CT scanning after NFD rarely yields actionable information. These patients may be better served by forgoing any imaging studies. Postoperative patients are frequently unstable and require added resources for transport to the radiology or CT area of the hospital, where the degree of medical support is minimal compared with the intensive care unit. Additionally, diagnostic tests with such low yield contribute significantly to health care costs with marginal benefit.
6 Ann Thorac Surg BEATY ET AL 2013;95: HEAD CT AFTER CARDIAC SURGERY 553 Limitations Several limitations of this study can be identified. First, this is a retrospective review and is therefore subject to limitations in data recording, which may introduce bias. Second, this study evaluates CT scan data for the first 7 days after operation, with no long-term follow-up. Therefore, it is unable to address issues of lesion progression on consecutive CT scans, neurologic recovery, or chronic disability beyond final disposition. Third, postoperative neurologic findings were not verified by a common neurologist, but rather by one of a team of neurologists, and therefore variable diagnostic acumen may have played a role in patient characterization. Conclusions This is the first study examining the utility of noncontrast head CT analysis after CS. In this retrospective review of our experience with noncontrast head CT for the evaluation of new ND after CS in the early postoperative period, less than 3% of scans were positive in patients with a NFD. This is significantly different from patients experiencing a focal deficit, in which the noncontrast scan was positive in 34% of patients. Given that CT scanning is so rarely helpful in patients with an NFD, its clinical benefit should be weighed against its cost, both in risks to the patient as well as the resources used to obtain the study. Further investigation is warranted to better understand which patients should be imaged and which imaging modality would be most useful in the setting of early postoperative NDs after CS. The authors thank Ms Diane Alejo and Ms Barbara Fleischman for their assistance with data collection. Both Dr Beaty and Dr Arnaoutakis are the Irene Piccinini Investigators in Cardiac Surgery and Doctor George is the Hugh R. 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