Prognostic Value of Admission Serum Chloride and of the Composition of Metabolic Acidosis in Postoperative Intensive Care: A Single-Centre Retrospective Cohort Study

Background/Objectives: Serum chloride is measured in almost every postoperative intensive care unit (ICU) admission. We examined whether it carries prognostic information once operative case-mix and the composition of the metabolic acidosis are accounted for.

Methods

In 1136 adults admitted from the operating theatre to a single 20-bed ICU, admission chloride was modelled with restricted cubic splines in multivariable logistic regression, and three acid–base features (lactate > 2, chloride > 108, anion gap > 16 mmol/L) were counted in patients with base excess <−3 mmol/L. The primary outcome was ICU mortality.