Postoperative hyperbilirubinemia after surgery for gastrointestinal perforation.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to evaluate the risk factors and outcome of patients with hyperbilirubinemia after surgery for generalized peritonitis.


METHODS
We retrospectively analyzed data from 229 patients with generalized peritonitis caused by gastrointestinal (GI) perforations.


RESULTS
Postoperative hyperbilirubinemia defined as a value of > or =5 mg/dl, within 1 month, developed in 39 patients. Postoperative hyperbilirubinemia was related to age ( P = 0.0102), poor nutritional status ( P = 0.0388), decreased base excess ( P = 0.0037), delay until surgery ( P = 0.0276), preoperative serum bilirubin ( P = 0.0321) and postoperative persistent infection ( P < 0.0001). Higher mortality was seen in patients with hyperbilirubinemia (59%) than in those without hyperbilirubinemia (4%). The patients with hyperbilirubinemia who survived had decreased serum bilirubin levels after 3-5 postoperative days whereas a continuous increase was seen in the patients who ultimately died. Preoperative shock ( P = 0.0003), a decreased preoperative platelet count ( P = 0.0152), postoperative infection ( P = 0.0050), and postoperative hyperbilirubinemia ( P < 0.0001) were risk factors for overall mortality.


CONCLUSIONS
These results indicate that postoperative hyperbilirubinemia in patients with GI perforation is related to persistent postoperative infection and associated with poor prognosis.
Department of Surgery, Osaka Police Hospital, Kitayama-cho, Tennouji-ku, Japan.
Toshirou
T
Nishida
Nobuhiro
N
Fujita
Tadashi
T
Megawa
Masaaki
M
Nakahara
Kazuyasu
K
Nakao
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006932:Hyperbilirubinemia / Q000209:etiology* / Q000401:mortality; D007416:Intestinal Perforation / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009752:Nutritional Status; D010538:Peritonitis / Q000601:surgery*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000401:mortality; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013272:Stomach Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*