In Cardiac Surgery, Perioperative Colchicine Disappoints

In the COPPS trial (Circulation 2011; 124:2290), initiating colchicine treatment 3 days after cardiac surgery decreased the occurrence of postpericardiotomy syndrome (currently an off-label use). The COPPS-2 trial was designed to assess whether preoperative administration of colchicine would increase the benefit (NCT01552187). The primary endpoint was incidence of postpericardiotomy syndrome (≥2 of the following criteria met: fever without other cause, pleuritic chest pain, friction rub, pericardial effusion, or pleural effusion) within 3 months after surgery. Colchicine was initiated 2 to 3 days before surgery and continued for 1 month after surgery.

Among 360 enrolled patients, postpericardiotomy syndrome occurred in 35 of 180 (19.4%) in t…