ORIGINAL ARTICLES   

Minerva Chirurgica 2008 October;63(5):357-62

Copyright © 2008 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Relationship between surgical trauma and albumin concentration in the postoperative period of digestive system operations

Alberti L. R., Petroianu A., Indelicato Zac R., Cisneiros Guedes Andrade J. C. Jr.

Alfa Institute of Gastroenterology Clinical Hospital of the Federal University Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Aim. Surgical trauma can provoke systemic alterations including changes in hepatic protein synthesis. Thus, it is important to point out the influence of this phenomenon on serum albumin concentration. The objective of the present work was to assess the effect of surgical trauma on serum albumin concentration during the immediate postoperative period in gastrointestinal procedures.
Methods. The study was conducted on 150 randomized adult patients submitted to elective major surgeries (Group 1) and to medium size surgeries (Group 2) of the gastrointestinal system, identified according to sex, age and skin color. Blood samples for the determination of serum albumin concentration were obtained on the day preceding and following the surgical procedure.
Results. There was a reduction in serum albumin both in Group 1 (P<0.0001) and Group 2 (P<0.0001), with no difference between sexes or patient skin colors for major surgeries. However, women showed a lower reduction in serum albumin than men in medium-sized surgeries. Also, the reduction of albumin was lower in black-skinned patients than in colored and lower in the latter than in white-skinned patients. With respect to age range, a greater reduction of albumin was observed in both groups among patients over 65 years, followed by younger patients (<45 years) and by patients aged 45 to 65 years.
Conclusion. Medium-sized and majors operations provoked an acute reduction in albuminemia, which was less intense among women, among the patients aged 45 to 65 years and among dark-skinned patients.