Dynamic changes of inflammation parameters in patients after neurosurgery

Abstract

Objective To observe the postoperative dynamic changes of body temperature (BT),C-reactive protein (CRP) and white blood cell (WBC) count.Methods One hundred and two consecutive patients with surgically treated intracranial or spinal lesions,admitted to our hospital from July 2011 to February 2012,were chosen and divided into group A (non infection) and group B (infection) depending on whether postoperative bacterial infections (POBIs) were occurred.Evaluation of postoperative BT and CRP levels,as well as WBC count,was performed.Results WBC and BT levels would elevate in majority of patients with or without POBIs one day after the operation; the difference between the two groups showed no significant difference (P＞0.05).Elevation of BT and WBC levels was noted in 23.8％ and 21.4％ patients from group A and in 88.9％ and 83.3％ patients from group B five days after the operation,with significant difference between the two groups (P＜0.05).Similar results were seen seven day after the operation.Five and seven days after the operation,78 patients (92.8％) and 68 patients (80.9％) still had abnormal CRP level in group A.ROC curve revealed that better diagnostic performance five and seven days after the operation could be found as compared with that one and three days after the operation.Conclusion Elevation of serum CRP,WBC and BT levels can occur in patients with or without POBIs on the first three days of neurosurgical operation; persistent anomalies or secondary elevation could indicate ongoing infection,which needs attention from clinic. Key words: Fever; White blood cell count; C-reactive protein; Postoperative infection; Craniotomy