Perioperative blood transfusion and albumin administration are independent risk factors for the development of postoperative infections after colorectal surgery.

摘要

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether transfused colorectal surgery patients were at increased risk for postoperative infections in a tertiary care teaching hospital and whether transfusion alone was the only significant risk factor. DESIGN: A retrospective study. SETTING: A single tertiary care teaching hospital. PATIENTS: All patients admitted to St. Boniface General Hospital, Winnipeg, for colorectal surgery during the period Apr. 1, 1995, through Mar. 31, 1996, were studied (N = 154). RESULTS: The overall infection rate was 17%: nontransfused patients, 13%, and transfused patients, 28% (p < 0.038). Patients who received albumin perioperatively had a significantly higher infection rate (38%) than those who did not (13%) (p < 0.001). Stepwise logistic regression analysis identified transfusion and albumin administration as the only independent risk factors for postoperative infection. CONCLUSION: Perioperative transfusion or albumin administration significantly increases the risk of postoperative infection in colorectal surgery patients.