Background: Infectious complications, particularly in the form of anastomotic leaks (ALs) or surgical site infections (SSIs), represent a serious morbidity after esophagogastric cancer resections. Therefore, early detection is of paramount importance. Although markers of the systemic inflammatory response, including C-reactive protein (CRP) and white cell count (WCC), have been used in this regard, their relative predictive value is unclear. The aim of the present study was to examine serial postoperative WCC, albumin, and CRP and their diagnostic accuracy in case of infectious complications.
Patients and methods: White cell count, albumin, and CRP were routinely measured postoperatively for 7 days in 136 consecutive patients who had undergone esophagogastric cancer resection. All postoperative complications were recorded. The diagnostic accuracy of the WCC, albumin, and CRP values were analyzed by receiver operating characteristics curve analysis with surgical site and remote infectious complications as outcome measures.
Results: Fifty-four (40%) patients developed infectious complications, and 17 of them developed an AL. CRP was significantly higher from postoperative day (POD) 3 onward in those patients who developed an AL. On POD 3, a threshold reading of 180 mg/l was associated with development of an AL, providing a sensitivity of 82% and a specificity of 63%. On POD 4, the same CRP threshold of 180 mg/l provided 71% sensitivity and 83% specificity.
Conclusions: Postoperative CRP measurements on PODs 3 and 4 are clinically useful in predicting surgical site infectious complications, in particular an AL, after resection for esophagogastric cancer.