Biomedical and psychological risk in cardiac surgery: is EuroSCORE a more comprehensive risk measure than Stroke Index?

Abstract

While both the Stroke Index and the EuroSCORE account for the relationship between biomedical and cognitive risk factors in predicting perioperative risk, only the EuroSCORE also accounts for affective dysfunctions, which, in turn, have been proved to represent risk factors for perioperative adverse events. Therefore, compared with the Stroke Index, the EuroSCORE can be considered a more complete risk index in predicting perioperative risk. Data also suggest that a comprehensive preoperative evaluation of biomedical, mood, and cognitive performances might provide a more accurate mirror of the actual risk in patients undergoing cardiac surgery.