Association of Perioperative Colchicine Use with Morbidity and Inflammation in Heart Valve Surgery.

ICU length of stay was shorter in the colchicine group than in the control group.

• 4.1 ± 1.6 days in the colchicine group (n = 40) vs. 5.3 ± 2.4 days in controls (n = 42); p = 0.009.
• Retrospective study of 82 patients who underwent elective on-pump valvular heart surgery through full sternotomy.
• Colchicine was given at 0.5 mg once daily for three days before and ten days after surgery.

Fresh frozen plasma transfusion requirement was significantly lower in the colchicine group.

• 4.2 ± 2.1 units in the colchicine group vs. 6.9 ± 3.3 units in controls; p < 0.001.
• Erythrocyte transfusion requirement did not differ significantly between groups (p > 0.05).

Total hospital stay did not differ significantly between the colchicine and control groups.

• The abstract reports total hospital stay was not significantly different (all p > 0.05).
• Hospital stay was one of the clinical morbidity outcomes compared alongside ICU stay and transfusion requirements.

Postoperative day 5 inflammatory parameters did not differ significantly between groups.

• CRP, white blood cell count, NLR, PLR, and albumin were all non-significant (all p > 0.05).
• Inflammatory markers were measured on postoperative day 5.
• Thus the clinical differences were not accompanied by measurable differences in these markers.

After correction for multiple comparisons, the ICU length of stay difference was no longer statistically significant.

• The authors state this explicitly in the conclusions.
• This tempers the uncorrected p = 0.009 finding for ICU stay.

The authors conclude colchicine may have a potential role in valvular heart surgery with CPB but that larger prospective studies are needed.

• The study was retrospective with a small sample (n = 82; 42 control, 40 colchicine).
• Colchicine is established in ischemic heart disease and pericardial disease, but its use in valvular surgery has been little studied.