C-reactive protein should accelerate the diagnosis of bowel injury after gynecologic surgery.

STUDY

OBJECTIVE

To search for a marker that could aid in earlier diagnosis of bowel injury after gynecologic surgery.

DESIGN

Retrospective case study with prospective controls (Canadian Task Force classification II-2).

SETTING

University hospital.

PATIENTS: Fourteen women with bowel injuries and 50 controls with no postoperative complications.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN

RESULTS

Bowel injury occurred in 14 (2.4/1000) of 5901 gynecologic procedures. Of these, eight were recognized intraoperatively and treated immediately. In six women C-reactive protein levels were markedly increased (>100 mg/L) relative to control patients (p <0.0001).

CONCLUSION

Systematic postoperative assessment of C-reactive protein in patients at high risk for bowel injury may help identify this complication earlier in the postoperative period.