Palliative Care Involvement in Patients with Operative Mortality After Cardiac Surgery

Background: The aim of this study was to examine palliative care involvement in patients with operative mortality after cardiac surgery, to gain a better understanding of this high-risk population and factors influencing referral. Methods: This is a retrospective review using data submitted to the Society of Thoracic Surgeons National Database. Results: The total study population included 93 patients with operative mortality, only 30% of whom had palliative care involvement. The median time from first palliative care involvement to death was 6 days. Nearly 40% of patients had a status labeled as elective at the time of surgery. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that patient mortality risk for elective surgery is being underestimated, or the indications for palliative care consultation in high-risk patients is going unrecognized. Such knowledge may facilitate earlier palliative care involvement, with the goal of improved quality of life for cardiac patients.