The association of opium dependence and postoperative complications following coronary artery bypass graft surgery: A propensity-matched study

Objective: Opium is an overwhelming public health problem in some countries. Different studies have suggested this drug as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Although the effect of opium on immune system, lung disease, nephropathy, stroke, and cardiac arrhythmia has been found in different studies, its effect on postoperation complications is not clear yet. The authors conducted this study to assess the effect of opium on post operation in hospital complications among patients who underwent coronary artery bypass graft. Design: The authors retrospectively analyzed the data in this study. Setting: This study has been done at Tehran Heart Center. Patients: A total of 4,398 patients who had undergone isolated CABG were studied. Main outcome measure: Patients who fulfilled the DSM-IV-TR criteria for opium dependence (by smoking) were enrolled as Opium Dependent Patients. Also outcome variables were: Perioperative MI, septicemia, UTI, TIA, continuous coma, prolonged ventilation, pulmonary embolism, renal failure, acute limb ischemia, heart block, AF, mortality. Results: The prevalence of opium dependence was 15.6 percent among patients. The authors used a propensity matched model to analyze the relationship between opium and post operation complications. The authors adjusted opium and non-opium dependent patients in all of the baseline preoperative risk factors, so all of the matched patients were same and there was no bias in assessment. Conclusion: Opium dependent patients had significantly longer resource utilization. However, no significant relationship was found between opium dependence and other cardiac and non cardiac in hospital complications.