title: C-reactive protein in patients who had operative fracture treatment.
abstract: C-reactive protein as an indicator of infection, may help to detect surgical complications early and provide a better outcome for patients. To obtain a baseline for the use of C-reactive protein, the kinetics of C-reactive protein levels of 330 patients who had operative fracture treatment were studied before and after surgery. All patients who had an uneventful postoperative course had similar evolution in their C-reactive protein values: the peak level, which occurred on the second postoperative day, depended on the region of trauma (femoral fractures, 15.4 mg/dL versus ankle fractures, 3.5 mg/dL) and reflected the extent of surgical trauma. Of 47 patients with complicated courses, C-reactive protein proved helpful as a marker in risk stratification and as an early indicator for infection. Of nine patients with a deep wound infection, a high rise of C-reactive protein was recorded, and seven patients showed a rise in the C-reactive protein level before the onset of clinical symptoms. A cut-off level of 14 mg/dL on the fourth day after surgery was recorded for the patients with deep wound infection.
authors.affiliation: Department for Trauma and Reconstructive Surgery, University Hospital rechts der Isar der TU-München, Germany.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Scherer
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Neumaier
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: von Gumppenberg
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000097:blood* / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011184:Postoperative Period; D011446:Prospective Studies
chemical_list: D002097:C-Reactive Protein