ASSOCIATION BETWEEN PREOPERATIVE HOSPITALIZATION TIME AND INFECTION RATES AND OUTCOMES IN PATIENTS UNDERGOING CARDIAC SURGERY AT A UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL

Abstract

Circulatory diseases currently constitute the greatest health burden in the world. Among the factors that may be related to the high costs of treatment is the increase in the number of infections in patients waiting for heart surgery, due to the long wait for the procedures. The aim of this study was to verify whether there is an association between the preoperative hospitalization time and infections in patients undergoing cardiac surgeries. After approval by the CEP of the UNINOVAFAPI University Center (CAAE 83198424.6.0000.5210), a retrospective observational, analytical, cross-sectional study was carried out in a public hospital in Piaui. Once the inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied, the sample consisted of 65 patients who underwent cardiac surgeries between February and July 2023. The information from electronic medical records was compiled in a form prepared by the researchers. Subsequently, the data were tabulated and organized in Microsoft Office Excel (version 2016) and analyzed in the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences® (SPSS), version 26.0. Qualitative variables were expressed in absolute and relative frequencies, while quantitative variables were expressed in mean, median and standard deviation. The chi-square test assessed associations between categorical variables, adopting a significance level of 5% (p < 0.05) and a confidence interval of 95%. The study did not identify any interference of preoperative waiting time in terms of outcomes for the occurrence of infections. However, patients who developed pressure injuries (PIs) had a significantly longer mean length of stay in the ICU than those who did not present this complication. Similarly, the occurrence of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) was strongly associated with increased length of stay. The results of this research will guide actions, promoting the quality of care, in order to reduce the length of hospital stay, making the process safer for the patient.