Revised Cardiac Risk Index (RCRI) is a useful tool for evaluation of perioperative cardiac morbidity in kidney transplant recipients.

Background: We evaluated a published Revised Cardiac Risk Index (RCRI) to determine if this preoperative cardiovascular risk stratification tool would be useful in the kidney transplant recipient population.

Methods: We identified all kidney transplants from 2005 to 2009 (n=1652) at our institution. We performed a detailed retrospective chart review of (a) all recipients who underwent preoperative coronary angiography (n=169) and (b) an age-matched and transplantation year-matched group who did not undergo coronary angiography (n=156). Charts were reviewed for the presence of specific preoperative cardiovascular risk factors and perioperative cardiovascular complications (as defined by RCRI plus elevation of troponin) from time of surgery to hospital discharge. The total number of risk factors for each patient was compared with the occurrence of postoperative cardiac complications to identify a possible association.

Results: The number of risk factors was highly predictive of cardiovascular complications (receiver operating characteristic area, 0.77; P<0.0001). History of coronary artery disease was most strongly associated (odds ratio, 20.59; confidence interval, 4.73-89.53; P=0.0001) and history of congestive heart failure was also significantly associated with cardiac complications (odds ratio, 2.95; confidence interval, 1.01-8.59; P=0.0475).

Conclusion: The RCRI is a useful tool for cardiac risk stratification in kidney transplantation and could be used to develop protocols for intraoperative and postoperative care to minimize complications.