Abstract: AIM:To explore the risk factors of postoperative low cardiac output syndrome (LCOS) after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in the intensive care unit (ICU). METHODS: Data of 92 patients undergoing cardiac vavular surgery from January 2008 to January 2013 in the Department of Critical Medicine of the First People’s Hospital in Yichang were retrospectively analyzed. Patients with postoperative LCOS (dopamine >10 μg/kg/min) were assigned to observation group and patients without postoperative LCOS severed as controls. Potential risk factors in the two groups were compared and multivariate nonconditional logistic regression analysis was conducted to determine the independent risk factors resulting in LCOS after CABG. RESULTS: Of the 92 patients, 13 (14.13%) had postoperative LCOS after CABG and univariate analysis showed that the risk factors for postoperative LCOS following CABG were age, myocardial infarction, cardiac arrhythmia and female gender. Independent risk factors for postoperative LCOS after CABG were preoperative myocardial infarction (OR 18.149, 95% CI 1.949 to 169.011), cardiac arrhythmia (OR 30.509, 95% CI 2.607 to 357.028) and female gender (OR 10.743, 95% CI1.347 to 85.659) (P<0.05, P<0.01). CONCLUSION: Independent risk factors for LCOS following CABG are preoperative myocardial infarction and cardiac arrhythmia. Monitoring these risk factors improves LCOS following CABG.