Searching for methods to predict septic complications in surgical patients

Aim. To assess the significance of acute stage reactants as the marker for purulent complications in surgical patients.

Methods. We analyzed the results of treatment of 228 patients with purulent and inflammatory diseases of soft tissues, treated in 2011-2014. Acute phase reactants: C-reactive protein, albumin and fibrinogen were measured starting from the day of admission and surgical treatment and during the next 7 days. The control group (112 patients) included patients whowere treated conventionally by gauze bandage with water-soluble ointments and antiseptic solutions and broad-spectrum antibiotics. In the study group (116 patients) topical treatment of wounds was performed using «Poliderm» bandages.

Results. Application of the «Poliderm» combined dressing reduced the wounds clearance term from 4.3±0.5 to 3.2±0.4 days, active inflammation term from 8.8±1.3 to 6.4±0.7 days, epithelialization of the wound from 10.1±0.8 to 8.4±0.6 days. C-reactive protein level was 87.3±4.3 g/l at the day of admission and decreased by day 7 to 34.13±1.2 g/l, compared to 51.83±3.6 g/l on the 7th day in the control group. Albumin level was 42.73±3.7 g/l in the study group with further decrease to 40.33±1.7 g/l on the 2nd and subsequent increase up to 45.13±1.3 g/l on the day 7. Patients of the control group had albumin level decreased on the 2nd and 3rd days with further increase up to 41.73±2.1 g/l on the day 7. At the treatment start, leukocyte intoxication index was 5.923±0.4 in the main group and 5.873±0.3 in the control group. On the 2nd day, this parameter decreased to 5.12 in the main group and to 5.41 in the control group.

Conclusion. Measuring the levels of acute phase reactants (C-reactive protein, albumin, etc.) allows to assess the clinical course of a purulent and inflammatory disease, to register the good treatment effect on the 1-2nd day of treatment, even before the significant clinical changes, changes in the body temperature, white blood cell counts, erythrocyte sedimentation rate.