• Carol P Chong, William J van Gaal, Julie E Ryan, Konstantinos Profitis, Judy Savige, and Wen Kwang Lim.
• Department of Aged Care, The Northern Hospital, Epping, Victoria, Australia. carol.chong@nh.org.au
• Injury. 2012 Jul 1;43(7):1193-8.

ObjectivesTroponin elevations are common after emergency orthopaedic surgery and confer a higher mortality at one year. The objective was to determine if comprehensive cardiology care after emergency orthopaedic surgery reduces mortality at one year in patients who sustain a post-operative troponin elevation versus standard care.MethodsA randomised controlled trial was conducted at a metropolitan teaching hospital in Melbourne, Australia. 187 consecutive patients were eligible with 70 patients randomised. Troponin I was tested peri-operatively and patients with a troponin elevation were randomised to cardiology care versus standard ward management. The main outcome measure was one year mortality.ResultsThe incidence of a post-operative troponin elevation was 37.4% (70/187) and these 70 patients were randomised. In-hospital cardiac complications were similar between the randomised groups: standard care (7/35 or 20.0%) versus cardiology care (8/35 or 22.9%). There was no difference in 1 year mortality between the randomised groups (6/35 or 17.1% in each group). Multivariate predictors of 1 year mortality were post-operative troponin elevation OR 4.3 (95% CI, 1.1-16.4, p=0.035), age OR 1.1 (95% CI, 1.02-1.2, p=0.016) and number of comorbidities OR 2.1 (95% CI, 1.3-3.5, p=0.004). At 1 year 35/187 (18.7%) sustained a cardiac complication and 23/35 (65.7%) had a troponin elevation.ConclusionsThere was no difference in mortality between patients with a post-operative troponin elevation randomised to cardiology care compared with standard care. Troponin elevation predicted one year mortality. Further research is needed to find an effective intervention to reduce mortality.Crown Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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