Perioperative Genomics

Preliminary candidate gene and genome-wide association studies (GWAS) suggest that susceptibility to adverse perioperative events, including cardiac (myocardial infarction, ventricular dysfunction, atrial fibrillation), neurologic, and renal (among others) is genetically determined. Potential applications of biomarkers in perioperative medicine and critical care include prognosis, diagnosis, and monitoring of adverse outcomes, as well as informing and refining therapeutic decisions. So far, very few have been rigorously evaluated to demonstrate additive performance to existing risk stratification models (clinical validity) or change therapy (clinical utility). Most promising among those are natriuretic peptides and C-reactive protein for predicting risk of major adverse cardiovascular events, and procalcitonin to assess infection in the critically ill.

Duke Scholars

Author Mihai V. Podgoreanu Anesthesiology, Cardiothoracic