Is baseline cerebral oximetry a better predictor than carotid scan for postoperative delirium in cardiac surgery?

• Main Authors: Fayaz Mohammed Khazi, Faouzi Al-Safadi, Mohannad M.R. Al Asaad, Obaid Aljassim
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Saudi Heart Association 2018-07-01
• Series: Journal of the Saudi Heart Association
• Online Access: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1016731517301367

Guidelines recommend screening patients for carotid-artery stenosis, but unfortunately, measurement of baseline cerebral oximetry levels is still not a routine practice prior to cardiac surgery. We report a 41-year-old woman who presented with a normal carotid scan and unexpectedly low baseline cerebral oximetry levels. She had delayed postoperative recovery and discharge from hospital following her coronary-artery bypass surgery. This case report reiterates the prognostic significance of cerebral oximetry in the preoperative checkup and the association of low intraoperative values to postoperative cerebral impairment. It can also be identified as a comparatively better tool for preventing cognitive disturbances after cardiac surgery. Keywords: Cerebral oximetry, Cardiac surgery, Post-operative, Cognitive, Dysfunction