title: MORBIDITY OF SURGERY IN PREVIOUSLY UNDIAGNOSED CIRRHOTIC PATIENTS.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Undiagnosed cirrhotic patients are frequently encountered during routine and emergency surgery. These patients have a higher incidence of blood loss & wound infection, resulting in prolonged hospital stay. This study was conducted to highlight the possible complications which result in prolonged hospital stay in these patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 38 patients were incidentally found to have cirrhosis out of a total of 1560 patients who underwent abdominal operation. Diagnosis was confirmed on per-operative liver biopsy and was suspected preoperatively in patient having abnormal liver function test. Per-operative bleeding, postoperative wound infection and hospital stay was compared in cirrhotic and non-cirrhotic patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean blood loss was 310 ml in cirrhotic patients as compared to 205 ml in non-cirrhotic patients which was statistically significant (p-value 0.008). Post-operative infection rate was 21% in cirrhotic patients compared to non-cirrhotic patients 5%. Significance was tested using Pearson Chi square test (0.042). The Average hospital stay was 10 days in cirrhotic patients and 7.5 days in non-cirrhotic patients respectively which was statistically significant (p-value 0.006).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is statistically significant difference in per-operative bleeding, wound infection and hospital stay in cirrhotic and non-cirrhotic patients.
authors.forename: Rasikh
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Maqsood
authors.forename: Alia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rasikh
authors.forename: Zahoor
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Iqbal
authors.forename: Muhammad Usman
authors.initials: MU
authors.lastname: Asghar
authors.forename: Tariq
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Abbasi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016063:Blood Loss, Surgical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003951:Diagnostic Errors / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004630:Emergencies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000639:trends; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009017:Morbidity / Q000639:trends; D010154:Pakistan / Q000453:epidemiology; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013514:Surgical Procedures, Operative / Q000009:adverse effects*