Thrombocytopenia After Cardiopulmonary Bypass Is Associated With Increased Morbidity and Mortality

Thrombocytopenia is a risk factor for morbidity and mortality in critically ill patients, and is common after cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). In this study, we evaluate whether thrombocytopenia after CPB is an independent risk factor for postoperative morbidity and mortality. We retrospectively evaluated 1364 patients requiring CPB at the University of Colorado Hospital between January 2011 and May 2016. Platelet nadir, absolute change in platelets, and percent change in platelets were modeled as continuous variables. Patients with postoperative thrombocytopenia (defined a nadir