Evaluation of postoperative fever after abdominal surgery

Evaluation of fever in the early postoperative period often includes a battery of diagnostic tests to determine the source of or to exclude a serious infection. The aim of this retrospective study was to define the feature of postoperative fever. Of the 342 patients, in 42 (42/342: 12.3%) who developed fever a focus as an explanation of the fever could be demonstrated in 20 patients (20/42: 47.6%). The duration of the fever (p<0.01) and the peak (p<0.00001) were higher in patients with a focus than those without. There was no significant association between the degree of leukocytosis and the incidence on infection, significant resulted the differential increase of leukocytes (p<0.0002).

Duke Scholars

Author Alfonso Torquati Surgery, Minimally Invasive Surgery