title: Prognostic value of preoperative C-reactive protein concentration and white cell count in acute extremity ischaemia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To find out if the C-reactive protein (CRP) concentration and the white cell count (WCC) are of any prognostic value in patients with acute extremity ischaemia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Tampere University Hospital and Jyväskylä Central Hospital, Finland.
  
  
  METHODS
  129 patients with acute extremity ischaemia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Preoperative CRP concentration, white cell count, packed cell volume, serum creatinine concentration, major amputation and death.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median (range) CRP concentration was 50.0 (3-271) mg/l in the 28 patients who underwent major amputation or died (group 1) and 11.0 (1.175) mg/l in the 65 patients who survived with viable limbs (group 2) (p = 0.007). The median (range) WCC was 13.1 (5.9-42.0) x 10(9)/l in group 1 (30 patients) and 9.5 (2.2-23.9) x 10(9)/l in group 2 (79 patients) (p < 0.001). The cut-off point of 20 mg/l for CRP and 11.0 x 10(9)/l for WCC had negative predictive values of 0.83 and 0.85 for amputation and mortality, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Preoperative CRP concentration and WCC correlated with limb salvage and mortality in patients with acute extremity ischaemia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Tampere University Hospital, Finland.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kuukasjärvi
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Salenius
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Riekkinen
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis*; D005121:Extremities / Q000098:blood supply*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007511:Ischemia / Q000097:blood*; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011300:Preoperative Care; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D002097:C-Reactive Protein