title: Plasma viscosity and C-reactive protein after total hip and knee arthroplasty.
abstract: We studied the changes in plasma viscosity and C-reactive protein to establish normal values after total hip or knee arthroplasty. Viscosity decreased from 1.68 (+/- 0.017) to 1.57 (+/- 0.014) on the first postoperative day and thereafter rose to 1.60 (+/- 0.019), 1.75 (+/- 0.015), and 1.74 (+/- 0.011) on the third, seventh and fourteenth days respectively. Six to eight weeks after operation it had returned to pre-operative levels. A viscosity above the upper limit of the laboratory range, obtained more than two months after operation, may be considered as abnormal. The C-reactive protein level increased significantly on the first postoperative day and then decreased from a peak on the second day, attaining nearly normal levels at six to eight weeks after operation. It may be a more sensitive indicator of deep postoperative infection than plasma viscosity.
authors.affiliation: Glenfield General Hospital, Leicester, England.
authors.forename: R R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Choudhry
authors.forename: R P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Rice
authors.forename: P D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Triffitt
authors.forename: W M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Harper
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Gregg
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001809:Blood Viscosity; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006622:Hip Prosthesis; D006801:Humans; D007720:Knee Prosthesis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011184:Postoperative Period; D012016:Reference Values; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D002097:C-Reactive Protein