Can EuroSCORE predict direct costs of cardiac surgery?

Objective: The aim of this study is to determine if a preoperative risk stratification model can identify different surgical costs. Methods: Four hundred and eighty-eight patients undergoing open heart surgery between March 2000 and March 2001 were classified with the EuroSCORE model. Direct variable costs were prospectively collected, surgical team costs excluded. The multivariate analysis was used to find variables independently associated with costs. Results: Of the 488 patients enrolled 342 (70%) were males, mean age 65±10 years, 57 (12%) had myocardial infarction, 20 (4%) had ejection fraction 10 ⇒ 21,353±18,507 €. Excluding EuroSCORE from the preoperative logistic model, age, preoperative creatinine, critical condition, ejection fraction, re-operation and sex were independently correlated with costs. Conclusions: From our data the EuroSCORE model developed to predict (30-day postoperative) hospital mortality could be used to predict direct operative costs and identify patients with different levels of resource consumption.