Characteristics of Hospitalization-Associated Disability After Cardiac Surgery by Age Group.

Background: Several studies have reported that age influences the severity of hospitalization-associated disability (HAD) after cardiac surgery. However, age-specific differences in the incidence and characteristics of HAD remain unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to clarify the incidence and characteristics of HAD according to age group. Methods and Results: This prospective, multicenter observational study included 604 patients who underwent elective cardiac surgery at 12 acute-care hospitals. HAD was defined as a decrease of ≥5 points in the Barthel Index score from the preoperative assessment to the discharge assessment. The HAD incidence rate was 6.8% for patients aged 65-74 years, 14.5% for patients aged 75-89 years, and 10.4% overall. The characteristics varied by age group. In the 65-74 age group, the incidence of HAD was influenced by a higher prevalence of comorbidities, level of prehospital nursing care, preoperative left ventricular ejection fraction, intubation time, and physical function. In the 75-89 age group, HAD incidence was associated with Kihon Checklist score, level of nursing care, the use of rehabilitation services, preoperative physical function, and intubation time. Conclusions: The incidence of HAD in post-cardiac surgery patients was 10.4%, increasing with age. Factors affecting the incidence of HAD differed by age group.