Red cell distribution width in the prognosis of surgical correction of congenital heart diseases

Olga De La Ossa-Mercado, Departamento de Pediatría, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Cartagena, Cartagena de Indias, Colombia
Francisco De La Hoz-Bequis, Departamento de Cardiología Pediátrica, Hospital Infantil Napoleón Franco Pareja, Cartagena de Indias, Colombia
Heidy Marsiglia-Armella, Departamento de Hematoncología Pediátrica, Hospital Infantil Napoleón Franco Pareja, Cartagena de Indias, Colombia
Andrea Zárate-Vergara, Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos Pediátricos, Servicio de Investigación, Clínica Especializada La Concepción, Sincelejo, Colombia
Irina Tirado-Pérez, Servicio de Investigación y Docencia, Hospital Infantil Napoleón Franco Pareja, Cartagena de Indias; Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Corporación Universitaria Remington, Medellín. Colombia

Objective: To evaluate the capacity of red cell distribution width (RDW) to predict mortality in children undergoing cardiovascular surgery at the Fundación Hospital Infantil Napoleón Franco Pareja, in Colombia. Method: Retrospective cross-sectional analytical study that included 45 individuals aged 0 to 17 years operated for congenital heart disease. The RACHS-1 (Risk Adjustment in Congenital Heart Surgery) scale and laboratory variables including the RDW were applied. The association between RDW and mortality was determined by ROC curve analysis and Spearman’s rho correlation. Results: An RDW greater than 15.52% represented 1.6 times more risk, compared to individuals below that value (95% confidence interval: 1.01-2.6; p = 0.034). The RDW values did not correlate with days of hospital stay or complications. The preoperative RDW and RACHS-1 score were significantly higher in the mortality group. The relationship between presurgical RDW and the RACHS-1 score was significant. Conclusions: In our study, the preoperative RDW had moderate power to discriminate perioperative mortality in the surgical correction of congenital heart disease. More studies with a larger sample size are required.

Keywords: Biomarkers. Erythrocyte indices. Red blood cell distribution width. Congenital heart defects.