Anaesthesia
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Observational Study
Associations between pre-operative iron deficiency and postoperative infection in patients undergoing major surgery (CARIPO): a prospective observational study.
Iron deficiency, with or without anaemia, is common during the peri-operative period. It has been hypothesised that pre-operative iron deficiency is associated with an increased incidence of postoperative infection. We designed the CARIPO prospective observational study to assess the incidence of postoperative infection in patients with and without iron deficiency undergoing a variety of major surgeries. ⋯ Iron deficiency was not associated with a higher rate of postoperative infection relative to an iron replete state. While iron deficiency was associated with a higher rate of surgical site infection, this result is hypothesis-generating, and further prospective studies are required.