OBJECTIVE: To assess the value of necropsy examination in @entity1 dying soon after cardiac surgery, particularly the proportion of clinical questions answered by the necropsy, the frequency of major unexpected findings, and the limitations of the procedure. DESIGN: A three year prospective study of necropsy examinations in adult @entity1 dying before discharge or within 30 days of cardiac surgery performed under cardiopulmonary bypass in one hospital. SETTING: Tertiary referral centre. RESULTS: 123 of 2781 @entity1 (4.4%) died in the early postoperative period, and necropsy examination was performed in 108 of these (88%). The mortality after emergency procedures (18%) was much higher than after routine operations (2.6%). The main causes of @entity204 were @entity712 (52%), @entity548 (14%), @entity75 (6%), and @entity1151 (5%). The necropsy changed the stated cause of @entity204 in 16 @entity1 (15%), and answered clinical questions in 24 of 38 @entity1 . In 15 @entity1 necropsy examination did not provide a full explanation of @entity204 . Most of these @entity1 died of @entity712 soon after surgery or were sudden unexpected deaths. CONCLUSIONS: Necropsy examination in @entity1 dying early after cardiac surgery is valuable as it answers the majority of clinical questions, and shows unexpected findings in a significant proportion of cases.

Prospective study of the value of necropsy examination in early XXXX after cardiac surgery.

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['patients'] @entity712 :: ('MESH:D006333', 'Disease') :: ['cardiac failure'] @entity548 :: ('MESH:D006470', 'Disease') :: ['haemorrhage'] @entity75 :: ('MESH:D001927', 'Disease') :: ['cerebral disease'] @entity1151 :: ('MESH:D011655', 'Disease') :: ['pulmonary emboli'] @entity204 :: ('MESH:D003643', 'Disease') :: ['death']
@entity204 :: (MESH:D003643,Disease) :: ['death']
