Arch Surg Chicago
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Infections and sepsis are major complications in secondary peritonitis and still represent a diagnostic challenge. We hypothesized that the laboratory marker procalcitonin would provide an early and reliable assessment of septic complications. ⋯ Procalcitonin monitoring is a fast and reliable approach to assessing septic MODS and overall prognosis in secondary peritonitis. This single-test marker improves stratification of patients who will develop clinically relevant complications.
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Multicenter Study
Association between venous thromboembolism and perioperative allogeneic transfusion.
Perioperative allogeneic blood product transfusion would be associated with venous thromboembolic complications in surgical patients. ⋯ In this large observational study of patients undergoing colorectal cancer resection, perioperative allogeneic blood transfusion was associated with an increased risk of VTE in women but not in men. Given the substantial morbidity and mortality associated with VTE and the implication that this finding has for postoperative management in women, this association must be confirmed in independent studies.
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The improved survival after esophageal cancer surgery in Sweden during recent years may be attributable to the increased centralization of such surgery. ⋯ This study revealed no effect of hospital volume on long-term survival after esophageal cancer surgery. Tumor biology apparently has a greater effect on the chances of long-term survival than hospital volume.