Postoperative Noninfectious Complications Research Articles

Extended Postoperative Antibiotics Versus No Postoperative Antibiotics in Patients Undergoing Emergency Cholecystectomy for Acute Calculous Cholecystitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Objectives. To compare the outcomes of extended postoperative antibiotics versus no postoperative antibiotics in patients with acute calculous cholecystitis undergoing emergency cholecystectomy. Methods. We performed a systematic review and conducted a search of electronic information sources to identify all randomized controlled trials comparing outcomes of extended postoperative antibiotics versus no postoperative antibiotics in patients with acute calculous cholecystitis undergoing emergency cholecystectomy. Postoperative infectious complications and surgical site infections were primary outcome measures. The secondary outcome measures included postoperative morbidity, postoperative noninfectious complications, urinary tract infections, pneumonia, length of hospital stay, postoperative mortality, and need for readmission. Random or fixed effects modeling was applied to calculate pooled outcome data. Results. Four randomized controlled trials enrolling 953 patients were identified. The included populations in the extended antibiotic group and no antibiotic group were comparable in terms of baseline characteristics. There was no difference between the 2 groups in terms of postoperative infectious complications (odds ratio [OR] =0.94, P = .79), surgical site infections (OR = 1.13, P = .72), postoperative morbidity (OR = 0.93, P = .70), postoperative noninfectious complications (OR = 0.85, P = .57), urinary tract infections (OR = 0.69, P = .55), pneumonia (OR = 0.33, P = .14), length of hospital stay (mean difference = 0.78, P = .25), postoperative mortality (risk difference = -0.00, P = .65), and need for readmission (OR = 0.87, P = .70). Conclusions. Our results suggest that extended postoperative antibiotic therapy does not improve postoperative infectious or noninfectious outcomes in patients with mild or moderate acute calculous cholecystitis undergoing emergency cholecystectomy. Postoperative antibiotics should not be routinely used and should be preserved only for selected cases.

Predictors of reoperation and noninfectious complications following craniotomy for cerebral abscess

ObjectivesThere is a paucity of literature that examines predictors of reoperation and noninfectious complications following treatment of cerebral abscess with craniotomy. The goal of the present study is to identify predictors for each of these outcomes. Patients and methodsThe American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) database 2012–2016 file was the data source. Patients were identified using a combination of CPT and ICD-9/10 codes. Exclusions included missing age/gender, secondary surgery, and absent length of stay information. Univariate followed by multivariable analysis using logistic regression was used to identify significant predictors of reoperation and noninfectious postoperative complications (p < 0.05). Results166 patients met the above criteria. Median age was 56 (IQR 44–65) and 68.1% of patients were men. The 30-day reoperation rate was 18.1% and increasing white blood cell count (WBC) was identified as a significant risk factor for reoperation (odds ratio [OR] 1.10, 95% CI 1.02–1.19, p = 0.013). Noninfectious complications occurred at a rate of 20.5% at 30 days. Significant predictors were ASA classification ≥4 (OR 4.13, 95% CI 1.74–9.81, p = 0.001), smoking (OR 3.04, 95% CI 1.18–7.78, p = 0.020), and increasing WBC count (OR 1.11, 95% CI 1.03–1.20, p = 0.007). Emergency case status, abscess location (supratentorial versus infratentorial), nor chronic steroid use demonstrated a significant relationship with the studied outcomes. ConclusionIncreasing preoperative WBC count predicts both reoperation and noninfectious complications following craniotomy for cerebral abscess. Less modifiable predictors for noninfectious complications which may help anticipate operative risk are smoking and high ASA classification.

Pre-operative total parenteral nutrition improves post-operative outcomes in a subset of Crohn's disease patients undergoing major abdominal surgery.

BackgroundDespite major advances in the medical management of Crohn’s disease (CD), a significant proportion of patients will require surgery within 5 years of diagnosis. Malnutrition is an independent risk factor for adverse post-operative outcomes following gastrointestinal surgery. Data on the value of pre-operative total parenteral nutrition (TPN) in CD patients are mixed and there is a paucity of data in the biologic era. We aimed to define the role of pre-operative TPN in this population.MethodsThis was a retrospective cohort study conducted at a tertiary referral center. CD patients who underwent major abdominal surgery were identified. Patients receiving pre-operative TPN were compared to controls. We compared the incidence of 30-day infectious and non-infectious post-operative complications between the two groups.ResultsA total of 144 CD patients who underwent major abdominal surgery between March 2007 and March 2017 were included. Fifty-five patients who received pre-operative TPN were compared to 89 controls. Twenty-one (14.6%) patients developed infectious complications (18.2% in TPN group vs 12.3% in non-TPN group, P = 0.34) and 23 (15.9%) developed non-infectious complications (14.5% in TPN group vs 16.9% in non-TPN group, P = 0.71). In a multivariate analysis, controlling for differences in baseline disease severity and malnutrition between groups, patients receiving pre-operative TPN for ≥60 days had significantly lower odds of developing non-infectious complications (odds ratio 0.07, 95% confidence interval: 0.01–0.80, P = 0.03). Weight loss of >10% in the past 6 months was a significant predictor of post-operative complications. ConclusionsIn a subset of malnourished CD patients, TPN is safe and allows comparable operative outcomes to controls. Pre-operative TPN for ≥60 days reduced post-operative non-infectious complications without associated increase in infectious complications.

Association Between Standardized Phase Angle, Nutrition Status, and Clinical Outcomes in Surgical Cancer Patients

Different nutrition assessment tools in surgical cancer patients are used in clinical practice, which results in different prevalence rates of malnutrition. This may impact the interpretation of the association between nutrition status and clinical outcomes. Reduced standardized phase angle (SPA) values are associated with adverse outcomes in patients with cancer. Thus, it is important to assess the association of SPA with nutrition status and relate it to postoperative clinical outcomes. This prospective observational study included 121 surgical cancer patients. Bioelectrical impedance analysis, subjective global assessment (SGA), anthropometric measurements, and assessment of muscle strength were used to provide nutrition diagnosis 1 day before surgery. The patients were followed for infectious and noninfectious postoperative complications from the first day after the operation until discharge or death. The prevalence of malnutrition was higher according to SGA (63.6%). Patients with an SPA < -1.65 had a greater chance of being diagnosed as malnourished according to the SGA (3.66 [1.35-9.90]), midarm circumference (OR 4.24; CI95%; 1.72-10.43), midarm muscle area (OR 4.38; CI95%; 1.68-11.42), and low handgrip strength (3.84 [1.31-11.25]). Patients with an SPA < -1.65 presented with more infectious complications (OR 4.19; CI95%; 1.52-11.53), but there was no association between SPA and other outcomes or death. SPA was the only significant predictor of infectious complications (AUC, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.51-0.71). SPA was associated with different nutrition status parameters, and it was able to predict postoperative infectious complications.

Consequences of Increases in Antibiotic Resistance Pattern on Outcome of Pancreatic Resection for Cancer

BackgroundThe role of drug-resistance infections on surgical outcomes is controversial. The aim of the study was to determine whether increase antibiotic resistance was an independent risk factor for development of major non-infectious postoperative complications. MethodsThis work included a multicenter cohort study of patients who underwent pancreatic resections for cancer over a 3-year interval. The primary outcome was major non-infectious complication rate developing after the occurrence of multi-drug sensitive (MDS) infection, multi-drug-resistant infection (MDR), and extensive drug-resistant (XDR) infection. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to adjust for patient and operative effects. ResultsEligible patients (517) were selected for the analysis. One hundred and thirteen (21.8%) patients had major non-infectious complications with a rate of 12.9% in the no infection group, 29.3% in the MSD, 41.5% in the MDR, and 58.8% in the XDR (p < 0.001). The median time of infection occurrence was postoperative days 4 (2–7 IQR) and 7 (3–12 IQR) non-infectious complications. At multivariate analysis, the risk of having major non-infectious complications was 2.67 (95% CI 1.24–5.77, P = 0.012) for MDR, 5.04 (95% CI 2.35–10.80, P < 0.001) for MDR, and 9.64 (95% CI 2.71–34.28, P < 0.001) for XDR. ConclusionAntimicrobial resistance is significantly associated with the risk of major non-infectious morbidity.

Bronchial colonization and complications after lung cancer surgery.

Infectious complications occur following pulmonary resections preceded or not by induction chemoradiotherapy. We aimed to investigate whether bacterial colonization of the bronchial tree at the time of surgery was associated with postoperative complications. A retrospective analysis of all patients who underwent open anatomical pulmonary resections for malignancies at a single center was performed. Demographical data of the included patients, intraoperative data, and data on the postoperative course of patients were collected. Outcome of patients with a positive intraoperative bronchial culture was compared to patients with a negative bronchial culture. Relations between the presence of potential bacterial pathogens in the bronchial tree and other possible risk factors for the development of postoperative infectious and non-infectious complications, were analyzed using uni- and multivariate analysis. Between January 2010 and January 2012, a total of 121 consecutive patients underwent open anatomical pulmonary resections for malignancy, of whom 45 were preceded by induction chemoradiotherapy and 5 by induction chemotherapy. Intraoperative bronchial cultures were taken from 58 patients (48%). Patients with a positive bronchial culture developed significantly more infectious (88 % vs. 20%, p<0.001) and non-infectious complications (63 % vs. 12%, p=0.001). Positive intraoperative bronchial cultures showed the strongest association with the development of infectious and non-infectious postoperative complications (OR 24.8 and 12.2, respectively). After multivariate analysis, only BMI less than 20kg/m(2) and the presence of a positive intraoperative bronchial culture were found to be independent risk factors for the development of infectious complications. Chemoradiotherapy was not associated with postoperative complications in the present study. Bacterial colonization of the bronchial tree assessed intraoperatively, appears to be associated with higherrates of infectious and non-infectious complications after pulmonary resection. Whether early starting of appropriate antibiotics based on intraoperative-taken culture findings will reduce the infectious complication rate in a subcategory of patients needs to be investigated.

Impact of Preoperative Neutrophil to Lymphocyte Ratio and Postoperative Infectious Complications on Survival After Curative Gastrectomy for Gastric Cancer: A Single Institutional Cohort Study.

Although postoperative complications are associated with a poor long-term prognosis after resection of several solid tumors via an undetermined mechanism, there are few related reports in gastric cancer patients. Preoperative elevated neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) reflects a systemic inflammatory response and is a predictor of poor survival in gastric cancer. The relationship between preoperative NLR and postoperative complications and the impact of these 2 factors on survival in gastric cancer remains unclear. Our aim is to examine the association between postoperative complications and survival, and preoperative NLR in patients undergoing curative resection for gastric cancer.We enrolled a total of 404 consecutive patients with gastric cancer undergoing curative gastrectomy between January 1, 2000 and December 31, 2011. Multivariable analyses were performed to correlate preoperative and operative variables with postoperative complications and to correlate complications with long-term survival after gastrectomy.Postoperative infectious and noninfectious complication rates were 17.6% and 7.9%, respectively. Preoperative NLR independently predicted the development of postoperative infectious complication, but not the development of postoperative noninfectious complications after gastrectomy. Both elevated NLR and postoperative infectious complication were independently associated with long-term survival. Also, patients with both elevated NLR and the development of postoperative infectious complication had the worst long-term survival.NLR independently predicted the development of postoperative infectious complication and lower survival after gastrectomy. Elevated NLR could trigger postoperative infectious complication and increase the risk of recurrence in patients with postoperative infectious complication after gastrectomy.

Immunonutrition Support for Patients Undergoing Surgery for Gastrointestinal Malignancy: Preoperative, Postoperative, or Perioperative? A Bayesian Network Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Enteral immunonutrition (EIN) has been established to be as a significantly important modality to prevent the postoperative infectious and noninfectious complications, enhance the immunity of host, and eventually improve the prognosis of gastrointestinal (GI) cancer patients undergoing surgery. However, different support routes, which are the optimum option, remain unclear. To evaluate the effects of different EIN support regimes for patients who underwent selective surgery for resectable GI malignancy, a Bayesian network meta-analysis (NMA) of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) was conducted. A search of PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) was electronically searched until the end of December 2014. Moreover, we manually checked reference lists of eligible trials and review and retrieval unpublished literature. RCTs which investigated the comparative effects of EIN versus standard enteral nutrition (EN) or different EIN regimes were included if the clinical outcomes information can be extracted from it. A total of 27 RCTs were incorporated into this study. Pair-wise meta-analyses suggested that preoperative (relative risk [RR], 0.58; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.43-0.78), postoperative (RR, 0.63; 95% CI, 0.52-0.76), and perioperative EIN methods (RR, 0.46; 95% CI, 0.34-0.62) reduced incidence of postoperative infectious complications compared with standard EN. Moreover, perioperative EIN (RR, 0.65; 95% CI, 0.44-0.95) reduced the incidence of postoperative noninfectious complications, and the postoperative (mean difference [MD], -2.38; 95% CI, -3.4 to -1.31) and perioperative EIN (MD, -2.64; 95% CI, -3.28 to -1.99) also shortened the length of postoperative hospitalization compared with standard EN. NMA found that EIN support effectively improved the clinical outcomes of patients who underwent selective surgery for GI cancer compared with standard EN. Our results suggest EIN support is promising alternative for operation management in comparison with standard EN, and perioperative EIN regime is the optimum option for managing clinical status of patients who underwent selective surgery for GI cancer.

Infectious postoperative complications decrease long-term survival in patients undergoing curative surgery for colorectal cancer: a study of 12,075 patients.

We sought to characterize the effect of postoperative complications on long-term survival after colorectal cancer (CRC) resection. The impact of early morbidity on long-term survival after curative-intent CRC surgery remains controversial. The Veterans Affairs Surgical Quality Improvement Program and Central Cancer Registry databases were linked to acquire perioperative and cancer-specific data for 12,075 patients undergoing resection for nonmetastatic CRC (1999-2009). Patients were categorized by presence of any complication within 30 days and by type of complication (noninfectious vs infectious). Univariate and multivariate survival analyses adjusted for patient, disease, and treatment factors were performed, excluding early deaths (<90 days). Subset analysis was performed to determine the specific impact of severe postoperative infections. The overall morbidity and infectious complication rates were 27.8% and 22.5%, respectively. Patients with noninfectious postoperative complications were older, had lower preoperative serum albumin, had worse functional status, and had higher American Society of Anesthesiologists scores than patients with infectious complications and without complications (all P < 0.001). The presence of any complication was independently associated with decreased long-term survival [hazard ratio, 1.24; 95% confidence interval (1.15-1.34)]. Multivariate analysis by complication type demonstrated increased risk only with infectious complications [hazard ratio, 1.31; 95% confidence interval (1.21-1.42)]. Subset analysis demonstrated this effect predominantly in patients with severe infections [hazard ratio, 1.41; 95% confidence interval (1.15-1.73)]. The presence of postoperative complications after CRC resection is associated with decreased long-term survival, independent of patient, disease, and treatment factors. The impact on long-term outcome is primarily driven by infectious complications, particularly severe postoperative infections.

Pulmonary complications in patients receiving a solid-organ transplant.

Major improvements in perioperative care and immunobiology have not abated the risk for severe pulmonary complications after solid-organ transplantation. The aim of this study is to update information on infectious and noninfectious pulmonary complications after solid-organ transplantation, addressing epidemiology, risk factors, diagnostic workup, and management. Infectious and noninfectious postoperative pulmonary complications depend on the grafted organ and the anatomical site of transplantation. Kidney transplants have the lowest incidence of pulmonary complications, the highest being reported for heart, lung, and liver recipients. Respiratory tract infections, ranking first in heart and lung transplants and second in liver recipients, are a common cause of mortality. Risk factors include end-stage organ disease, comorbidities, perioperative procedures, and graft function. Factors specific for infections are timeline, state of immunosuppression, and graft dysfunction. Nosocomial multi-drug resistant pathogens are frequently responsible for the most severe infections. Aggressive diagnostic workup, early and broad empiric antiinfective therapy, and deescalation policy are the mainstays of their management. The role of intraoperative protective ventilation is under scrutiny. Pulmonary complications after solid-organ transplantation, and particularly infections, are able to compromise the extremely good results of the transplant procedures. Solid-organ transplantation recipients challenge the ICU physician with unique aspects of their post-transplant course, adding, in an already critical patient, the immunosuppressed state and the quality of the functional recovery of the graft.

Minimally invasive surgery for endometrial cancer: Does operative start time impact surgical and oncologic outcomes?

ObjectiveRecent literature in ovarian cancer suggests differences in surgical outcomes depending on operative start time. We sought to examine the effects of operative start time on surgical outcomes for patients undergoing minimally invasive surgery for endometrial cancer. MethodsA retrospective review was conducted of patients undergoing minimally invasive surgery for endometrial cancer at a single institution between 2000 and 2011. Surgical and oncologic outcomes were compared between patients with an operative start time before noon and those with a surgical start time after noon. ResultsA total of 380 patients were included in the study (245 with start times before noon and 135 with start times after noon). There was no difference in age (p=0.57), number of prior surgeries (p=0.28), medical comorbidities (p=0.19), or surgical complexity of the case (p=0.43). Patients with surgery starting before noon had lower median BMI than those beginning after noon, 31.2 vs. 35.3 respectively (p=0.01). No significant differences were observed for intraoperative complications (4.4% of patients after noon vs. 3.7% of patients before noon, p=0.79), estimated blood loss (median 100cc vs. 100cc, p=0.75), blood transfusion rates (7.4% vs. 8.2%, p=0.85), and conversion to laparotomy (12.6% vs. 7.4%, p=0.10). There was no difference in operative times between the two groups (198min vs. 216.5min, p=0.10). There was no association between operative start time and postoperative non-infectious complications (11.9% vs. 11.0%, p=0.87), or postoperative infections (17.8% vs. 12.3%, p=0.78). Length of hospital stay was longer for surgeries starting after noon (median 2days vs. 1day, p=0.005). No differences were observed in rates of cancer recurrence (12.6% vs. 8.8%, p=0.39), recurrence-free survival (p=0.97), or overall survival (p=0.94). ConclusionOur results indicate equivalent surgical outcomes and no increased risk of postoperative complications regardless of operative start time in minimally invasive endometrial cancer staging, despite longer length of hospital stay for surgeries beginning after noon.

Preoperative infliximab use and postoperative complications in Crohn's disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BackgroundInfliximab revolutionized the treatment paradigm of Crohn's disease (CD), but did not reduce the need for surgery. The impact of biologic agents on surgical complication rates remains debated. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of preoperative infliximab use on early postoperative complications in patients with CD undergoing abdominal surgery. MethodPubMed and Embase databases were searched to identify comparative studies that investigated postsurgical morbidity in CD patients receiving infliximab preoperatively with those not on infliximab. We used meta-analysis with random-effects model to calculate the pooled odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for total complication rate as well as major, minor, infectious, and non-infectious complications. ResultsA total of 18 studies involving 5769 patients included in this systematic review. There was significant association between infliximab therapy prior to surgery and total (OR = 1.45, 95% CI 1.04–2.02; 13 studies, 2538 patients), infectious (OR = 1.47, 95% CI 1.08–1.99; 10 studies, 2116 patients) and non-infectious (OR = 2.29, 95% CI 1.14–4.61; 3 studies, 729 patients) postoperative complications respectively. There was no significant disparity in the major (OR = 1.39, 95% CI 0.85–2.27; 9 studies, 3696 patients) and minor (OR = 1.39, 95% CI 0.57–3.40; 5 studies, 753 patients) complication rates between infliximab and control groups. No publication bias was detected. ConclusionPreoperative infliximab use modestly increases the risk of total early postoperative complications, and particularly infectious complications in CD patients.

Haptic-induced postoperative complications. Evaluation using ultrasound biomicroscopy

ObjectiveEvaluation of haptic-induced postoperative complications with single-piece intraocular lenses (IOLs) using ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM). DesignA retrospective case series. ParticipantsWe looked at 5 pseudophakic eyes with noninfectious postoperative complications, after undergoing phacoemulsification with posterior chamber intracapsular IOL placement. MethodsA review of clinical findings as well as UBM measurements looking at the distance of the IOL from the posterior surface of the pupil on each side of the lens. ResultsIn all cases, UBM revealed malposition of the IOL, confirming IOL tilting and haptic displacement outside of the capsular bag. ConclusionsUBM is a useful tool for early diagnosis of uveitis-glaucoma-hyphema syndrome because it enables visualization of the exact position of the IOL in vivo. In such cases, localization of the lens and haptics are essential in devising treatment strategies, such as repositioning of the haptics, haptic amputation, or removal of the IOL.

O índice de risco nutricional (nutritional risk index) é preditor de complicação pós-operatória em operações do aparelho digestivo ou parede abdominal?

Malnutrition can be considered the most common disease in hospitals due to its high prevalence. To investigate the methods of evaluation of the nutritional status that better correlate with postoperative complications and the length of hospital stay in patients submitted to gastrointestinal or abdominal wall surgeries. This is a retrospective evaluation of 215 nutritional assessment records. All were submitted to traditional anthropometry (weight, height, BMI, arm circumference, triceps skinfold thickness and mid-arm muscle circumference), subjective global assessment, serum albumin and lymphocyte count. Nutritional risk index was also calculated. A total of 125 patients were included. Malnutrition was diagnosed by mid-arm muscle circumference, nutritional risk index and subjective global assessment in 46%, 88% and 66%, respectively. Severe malnutrition was found in 17,6% if considered subjective global assessment and in 42% by the nutritional risk index. Oncologic patients had a worst nutritional status according to this index (5,42 less units). There was a negative correlation between occurrence the noninfectious postoperative complications with the nutritional risk index (p=0,0016). Similarly, lower serum albumin levels were associated with higher non infectious complications (p=0,0015). The length of hospital stay was, in average, 14,24 days less in patients without complications as compared with non infectious postoperative complications (p<0,05). Nutritional risk index and serum albumin are the parameters with the best capacity to predict the occurrence of non infectious postoperative complications and the length of hospital stay was higher to this patients.

Randomized clinical trial of perioperative omega-3 fatty acid supplements in elective colorectal cancer surgery

Omega-3 fatty acids (n-3 FAs) may have beneficial clinical effects, and n-3 FA supplements may improve outcome after surgery. In a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial in single centre, patients referred for elective colorectal cancer surgery received either an n-3 FA-enriched oral nutritional supplement (ONS) (Supportan, 200 ml twice daily) providing 2.0 g eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and 1.0 g docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) per day, or a standard isocaloric and isonitrogenous ONS, for 7 days before and 7 days after surgery. The primary endpoint was infectious and non-infectious complications within 30 days of surgery. Secondary endpoints were length of hospital stay, intensive care unit admission, readmissions, and concentrations of marine n-3 FAs and arachidonic acid in granulocyte membranes. Some 148 consecutive patients (68 women, 80 men; mean age 71 (range 41-89) years) were randomized. There was no significant difference between groups in infectious or non-infectious postoperative complications (P = 1.000). Granulocyte levels of EPA, DHA and docosapentaenoic acid (DPA) were significantly higher in the n-3 FA-enriched supplement group compared with the control group (P < 0.001). The arachidonic acid level in granulocytes was significantly lower in the enriched group than in the control group (P < 0.001). EPA, DHA and DPA were incorporated into granulocytes in patients receiving n-3 FAs, but this was not associated with improved postoperative outcomes. NCT00488904 (http://www.clinicaltrials.gov).

Meta‐analysis: effect of preoperative infliximab use on early postoperative complications in patients with ulcerative colitis undergoing abdominal surgery

Infliximab is widely used in severe and refractory ulcerative colitis (UC). The results of clinical studies are inconsistent on whether preoperative infliximab use increases early postoperative complications in UC patients. To determine the clinical safety and efficacy of preoperative infliximab treatment in UC patients with regard to short-term outcomes following abdominal surgery. PubMed, Embase databases were searched for controlled observational studies comparing postsurgical morbidity in UC patients receiving infliximab preoperatively with those not on infliximab. The primary endpoint was total complication rate. Secondary endpoints included the rate of infectious and non-infectious complications. We calculated pooled odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) as summary measures. A total of 13 studies involving 2933 patients were included in our meta-analysis. There was no significant association between infliximab therapy preoperatively and total (OR = 1.09, 95% CI: 0.87-1.37, P = 0.47), infectious (OR = 1.10, 95% CI: 0.51-2.38, P = 0.81) and non-infectious (OR = 1.10, 95% CI: 0.76-1.59, P = 0.61) postoperative complications respectively. Infliximab might be a protective factor against infection for the use within 12 weeks prior to surgery (OR = 0.43, 95% CI: 0.22-0.83, P = 0.01). No publication bias was found. Preoperative infliximab use does not increase the risk of early postoperative complications in patients with ulcerative colitis undergoing abdominal surgery.

Meta‐analysis: pre‐operative infliximab treatment and short‐term post‐operative complications in patients with ulcerative colitis

Infliximab was approved for use in ulcerative colitis in recent years. It has been debated if infliximab increases the risk of post-operative complications in patients with ulcerative colitis. To perform a meta-analysis that examines the relationship between preoperative infliximab treatment and short-term post-operative complications in patients with ulcerative colitis. We searched the PubMed and MEDLINE databases to identify observational studies on the impact of pre-operative infliximab use on short-term post-operative complications in ulcerative colitis. Infectious complications mainly included wound infection, sepsis and abscess, whereas non-infectious complications included intestinal obstruction, thromboembolism and gastrointestinal haemorrhage. Pooled odds ratios (ORs) were calculated for each relationship. A total of 5 studies and 706 patients were included in our meta-analysis. Overall, we did not find a strong association between pre-operative treatment of infliximab and short-term infectious [OR 2.24, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.63-7.95] or non-infectious (OR 0.85, 95% CI 0.50-1.45) post-operative complications in ulcerative colitis patients. On the contrary, we discovered that pre-operative infliximab use increased short-term total post-operative complications (OR 1.80, 95% CI 1.12-2.87). Pre-operative infliximab use increased the risk of short-term post-operative complications. Subgroup analysis is underpowered to assess the nature of these complications but shows a trend towards increased post-operative infection.

Plasma procalcitonin measured by time-resolved amplified cryptate emission (TRACE) in liver transplant patients. A prognosis marker of early infectious and non-infectious postoperative complications

Elevated procalcitonin (PCT) levels are observed after major surgery, such as orthotopic liver transplantation (OLTx). The aim of this observational study was to evaluate PCT kinetics during the first 5 following days after surgery to establish the prognostic value of PCT changes in the outcome of OLTx, and to predict medical, technical and infectious complications. PCT was also evaluated in the differential diagnosis of infection vs. rejection. A total of 64 OLTx were performed in 58 patients; they were split into two groups: with and without complications. Out of these patients, 18 developed infection, and nine rejection. PCT was measured before and during surgery, 12 h after transplantation and daily for the 5 following days. PCT was also measured the day when infection or rejection was diagnosed, and on the previous day. PCT was determined by time-resolved amplified cryptate emission (TRACE) technology. PCT elevation began at 12 h after surgery, reaching a peak on the 1st day in both groups. Significantly higher PCT concentrations were found in the group of patients developing complications, on the 5 postoperative days. It was found that a 24 h PCT value higher than 1.92 microg/L increased by 9.1-time-fold the risk of complications. When infection was diagnosed, a second peak of PCT was observed, but no PCT elevation was shown in rejection. Daily monitored PCT provides valuable information about the early outcome of OLTx.

Factores de riesgo de infección de prótesis total articular: estudio de casos y controles

To identify the infection risk factors in knee and hip total prosthesis.Case-control study of arthoplasties performed during 10 years.By means of conditional multivariate analysis, infection risk factors with greater odds ratio (OR) were surgical risk rate >or= 2, according to the National Nosocomial Infections Surveillance (NNIS) (OR, 3.3; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.1-10.8) and post-operative non-infectious complications (OR, 8.9; 95% CI, 1.1-83.1) (p < 0.05). The global infection rate was 2.4% (95% CI, 1.6%-3.2%) of 1,666 joint implants. Gram-positive cocci were the principal involved microorganisms (63%).A high NNIS together with non-infectious post-operative complications increase the risk of prosthesis infection.

PREDICTING IN-HOSPITAL MORTALITY AFTER HIP FRACTURE IN ELDERLY PATIENTS

Ninety-seven patients aged 88 +/- 4 years (range, 80-97 years) (study group), and 74 aged 75 +/- 3 years (range, 70-79 years) (control group), were prospectively studied to investigate whether basic medical variables can predict in-hospital mortality in very old patients undergoing hip surgery because of femoral fracture. Mortality was 16.5% and 6.7% in the study and control groups, respectively (p = 0.054). In the study group, mortality was significantly correlated with age (p < 0.01), venous disorders (p < 0.05), malnutrition (p < 0.0001), duration of surgery (p < 0.006), and postoperative noninfectious complications (p < 0.005). In the control group, age was the only significant correlate of mortality (p < 0.005). After exclusion of surgery-related variables, the logistic regression analysis confirmed the predictive role of venous disorders (odds ratio = 2.04, confidence limits = 1.09-3.79) and malnutrition (odds ratio = 6.01, confidence limits = 1.85-19.47) but not of age in the study group. However, the goodness-of-fit test showed that the statistical model did not fit the data adequately. We conclude that in-hospital mortality after hip surgery in the very old cannot be predicted on the basis of underlying medical conditions alone.