title: Statins and postoperative infections: a randomized clinical trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Observational studies, rather than randomized trials, revealed that statins might be associated with other benefits.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The present study aimed at evaluating the preventive effects of lovastatin when used as a prophylactic agent for early and late infective complications after surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 149 patients undergoing elective intracranial and spinal surgeries, were enrolled in a double- blind randomized clinical trial in the department of neurosurgery of a teaching hospital. An amount of 20 mg lovastatin and the same dose of placebo, one day before the operation and three days after the surgery, were used for cases and controls, respectively. The patients were evaluated for local and systemic infections during hospitalization and 10, 30, 60 and 90 days after discharge.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 149 patients, 78 men and 71 women with a mean age of 40.3 ± 16.5, were assigned to prophylactic protocols. 46 and 103 patients were in the case and control groups, respectively. Eight episodes of infection were detected, including six bacterial meningitis and two episodes of hospital- acquired pneumonia. All of the patients with documented postoperative infections were part of the placebo group, however, there were no significant statistical differences between the groups (P = 0.059).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In spite of the differences between the two groups, the results did not significantly support the preventive effect of statins in postoperative infections.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Disease, Loghman Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Shervin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shokouhi
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Disease, Loghman Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran ; National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Ilad
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Alavi Darazam
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Loghman Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Giv
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sharifi
authors.affiliation: Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Latif
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gachkar
authors.affiliation: Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Anahita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Amirsardari
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Loghman Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Samadian
keywords: Infection; Neurosurgery; Post-Operative Period; Statin