Postoperative high-sensitivity troponin T as a predictor of sudden cardiac arrest in patients undergoing cardiac surgery.

BACKGROUND: The usefulness of high-sensitivity troponin T (hs-TnT) as a predictor of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) in patients undergoing valve surgery is currently unknown.

METHODS: A prospective study was conducted on a group of 815 consecutive patients with significant valvular heart disease that underwent elective valve surgery. The primary end-point was postoperative SCA.

RESULTS: The postoperative SCA occurred in 26 patients. At multivariate analysis of hs-TnT measured immediately after surgery (hs-TnT I) and age remained independent predictors of the primary end-point.

CONCLUSIONS: Elevated postoperative hs-TnT was associated with a higher risk of postoperative SCA.