Iron metabolism disturbance as a marker of the severity of pathology in resuscitation patients

Abstract

Forty-eight patients of resuscitation wards were examined, including 15 patients with purulent peritonitis, 12 patients with acute pancreatitis, 11 patients with thermal skin damages, and 10 patients with severe acetic acid intoxication. An increase in the serum iron, ferritin, and free hemoglobin contents of blood plasma influenced the severity of endotoxicosis. This was expressed in progressive fever, increase in the leukocytic intoxication index and concentrations of low-and middle-molecular-weight substances on erythrocytes and in the blood plasma, intensification of lipid peroxidation, and insufficiency of the antioxidant defense system, which resulted in the development of multiple organ failure in patients with the above-mentioned diseases.