Post-operative intensive care unit admission after elective non-cardiac surgery: A single-center analysis of the NSQIP database.

BACKGROUND: Admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) after surgery can be associated with significant morbidity and mortality. This observational cohort study aims to identify perioperative factors associated with post-operative ICU admission in patients undergoing elective non-cardiac surgery.

METHODS: Data from the ACS NSQIP® database at a tertiary care academic medical center were analyzed from January 2011 to September 2016. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression of patient and surgery-specific characteristics was performed to assess association with post-operative ICU admission. The Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) and International Classification of Diseases (ICD-9) billing codes, as well as associated outcomes, were reviewed.

RESULTS: Of 5254 database patient records, 1150 met our inclusion criteria. Elevated body mass index (BMI), longer procedure duration and a diagnosis of disseminated cancer were associated with post-operative ICU admission. Prostatectomy and morbid obesity were the most common CPT and ICD-9 codes identified. Patients who were admitted to the ICU after surgery had a longer hospital length of stay (LOS), had a higher frequency of readmission, re-operation, and in-hospital mortality.

CONCLUSION: Admission to the ICU after elective non-cardiac surgery is common. Our analysis of the ACS NSQIP® database identified elevated BMI, longer duration of surgery and disseminated cancer as predictors of post-operative ICU admissions in patients undergoing elective non-cardiac surgery.