Table 1

Outcome definitions

OutcomeDefinition
Vascular deathDeath attributable to a vascular cause including deaths following myocardial infarction, cardiac arrest, revascularisation procedure, pulmonary embolism, deep venous or arterial thrombosis, arrhythmias, stroke and congestive heart failure or deaths due to an unknown cause
Myocardial infarction33The diagnosis of myocardial infarction requires any one of the following criterion:
1. Detection of a rise and/or fall of cardiac troponin values with at least one value above the 99th centile upper reference limit and with at least one of the following:
A. Symptoms of ischaemia
B. New or presumed new significant ST-T changes or new left bundle branch block
C. Development of pathological Q waves in the ECG
D. Imaging evidence of new loss of viable myocardium or new regional wall motion abnormality
E. Identification of an intracoronary thrombus by angiography or autopsy
2. Pathological Q waves with or without symptoms in the absence of non-ischaemic causes
3. Imaging evidence of a region of loss of viable myocardium that is thinned and fails to contract, in the absence of a non-ischaemic cause
4. Pathological findings of a prior myocardial infarction
Myocardial injury after non-cardiac surgeryThis is an elevated cardiac troponin value within 30 days after surgery without evidence of a non-ischaemic aetiology, such as pulmonary embolism, sepsis, cardioversion or known persistent elevated cardiac troponin values)
Non-fatal cardiac arrestNon-fatal cardiac arrest is defined as successful resuscitation from ventricular fibrillation, ventricular tachycardia, asystole or pulseless electrical activity
Revascularisation procedureThis is defined as percutaneous coronary intervention or coronary artery bypass graft surgery
Pulmonary embolusAny one of the following:
1. A high probability ventilation/perfusion lung scan
2. An intraluminal filling defect of segmental or larger artery on a helical CT scan
3. An intraluminal filling defect on pulmonary angiography
4. A positive diagnostic test for deep venous thrombosis (eg, positive compression ultrasound) with either one of the following:
A. Low or intermediate probability ventilation/perfusion lung scan
B. Subsegmental defects or technically inadequate study helical CT scan
Deep venous thrombosisAny one of the following:
1. Non-compressibility of one or more venous segments on B mode compression ultrasonography
2. Intraluminal filling defect on contrast-enhanced CT
3. Persistent intraluminal filling defect on contrast venography
New atrial fibrillationAtrial fibrillation (or flutter) occurred after surgery
StrokeStroke is defined as a new focal neurological deficit thought to be vascular in origin with signs or symptoms that last >24 h or is leading to death
Congestive heart failureAny one of the clinical signs: elevated jugular venous pressure, respiratory crackles, or presence of S3
At least one of radiographic features: vascular redistribution, interstitial oedema or alveolar pulmonary oedema
PneumoniaEither crackles on physical examinations of chest with one of the followings
1. Purulent sputum or change in sputum characteristics
2. Positive blood culture or isolation of pathogen from transtracheal aspirate, bronchial brushing or biopsyor chest radiography showing new or progressive infiltrate, consolidation, cavitation, or pleural effusion and any of the following:
1. Purulent sputum or change in sputum characteristics
2. Positive blood culture or isolation of pathogen from transtracheal aspirate, bronchial brushing or biopsy
3. Isolation of virus or detection of viral antigen from respiratory secretions
4. Diagnostic single antibody titre or fourfold increase in paired serum samples for pathogen
5. Histopathological evidence of pneumonia
Infection/sepsisInvasion of pathogenic organisms isolated from normally sterile tissue (including wound) or fluid or body cavity
Sepsis is defined by the presence of an infection and a systemic inflammatory response

  • ST-T, ST-segment–T wave.