Basics Flashcards
What is the body’s endocrine response to surgery?
1) afferent nerve input from surgery activate sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis
2) SNS and HPA alter secretion of hormones
a) SNS secrete catecholamines (epinephrine, nor-epinephrine) -> tachycardia, hypertension
b) catecholamine -> kidney secrete renin -> activation of renin angiotensin system -> sodium and water retention
c) catecholamine -> pancreas secrete glucagon -> glycolysis and hyperglycemia
d) catecholamine -> inhibition of insulin secretion by pancreas -> hyperglycemia
e) anterior pituitary secrete growth hormone -> liver secrete insulin-like growth factor (IGF) to prevent protein breakdown and promote tissue repair
f) anterior pituitary secrete adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) -> adrenal gland secrete cortisol and mineral corticoid -> cortisol contribute to hyperglycemia; mineralcorticoid cause
sodium & water retention and secretion of potassium (hypokalemia)
g) anterior pituitary also secrete beta-endorphin and prolactin -> unknown effects
h) posterior pituitary -> secrete anti-diuretic hormone (ADH) -> hypertension, water retention (hyponatremia)
So what is the overall result of the endocrine response of the body due to surgery?
- increased blood pressure and heart rate
- sodium and water retention, which usually counters peri-operative volume loss (blood loss, evaporation)
- electrolyte imbalance: hypokalemia, hyponatremia
- hyperglycemia
What is the body’s inflammatory response to surgery?
surgery as stimulus cause release of cytokines including IL-6
cytokines elicit acute phase reaction
a) liver secrete acute phase protein including C reactive protein (CRP), coagulation proteins
b) liver sequestrate cations including iron and zinc
c) liver decrease production in transport protein including albumin
d) pyrexia (fever)
e) neutrophil leukocytosis, lymphocyte differentiation
So what is the result of the body’s inflammatory response to surgery?
fever
leukocytosis
increased CRP
low albumin
What is done to modify the body’s endocrine and inflammatory response to surgery?
pre-operative optimization including proper nutrition to prevent adverse effect of stress response, hormone therapy (insulin for diabetes, cortisol for adrenal insufficiency)
anesthesia decrease stress response (SNS and HPA)
refined surgical technique (such as minimal invasive surgery) decrease inflammatory response
maintaining homeostasis peri-operative including maintaining normothermia, fluid replacement for volume loss
post-operative correction of fluid and electrolyte balance
Common post-operative complications
wound: wound infection, wound dehiscence
cardiac: myocardial infarction, hypotension
pulmonary: atelectasis
GI: acute gastric dilatation, ileus
renal: acute renal failure, volume overload, hyponatremia, hypernatremia, hypokalemia, hyperkalemia
GU: urinary retention, urosepsis
hematologic: deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, post-operative bleeding
Causes of immediate POD 1 post-operative fever
pulmonary: atelectasis
inflammatory: inflammatory reaction in response to trauma from surgery, reaction to blood products during surgery
malignant hyperthermia
Causes of acute POD 1-2 post-operative fever
pulmonary: atelectasis, aspiration pneumonitis
infection: early wound infection (Clostridium, group A streptococcus)
endocrine: Addisonian crisis, thyroid storm
inflammatory: transfusion reaction
Causes of subacute POD 3-7 post-operative fever
infection: surgical site infection, IV site infection, septic thrombophlebitis, leakage at bowel anastomosis, urinary tract infection (UTI)
Causes of delayed POD >8 post-operative fever
infection: intra-abdominal abscess, peri-rectal abscess, upper respiratory tract infection, infected seroma / biloma / hematoma, parotitis, C. difficile colitis, endocarditis
hematologic: deep vein thrombosis (DVT), pulmonary embolism (PE)
GI: cholecystitis
iatrogenic: drug fever
What are the 5 W’s of post op fever
Wind POD 1-2 (pulmonary: atelectasis, aspiration, pneumonia)
Water POD 3-5 (urinary: urinary tract infection)
Weins POD 4-6 (venous thrombosis: DVT, PE)
Wound POD 5-7 (wound: surgical site infection)
What did we do? POD >7 (iatrogenic: drug fever, IV lines related infection, reaction to blood products)
Risk factors for surgical site/wound infection
1) Procedure risk factors
procedure sterility
clean (elective, not emergent, not traumatic, no acute inflammation, respiratory / GI / biliary / GU tract not entered): low risk <1.5% of surgical site infection
clean-contaminated (elective entering of respiratory / GI / biliary / GU tract): low risk <3% of surgical site infection
contaminated (non-purulent inflammation, gross spillage from GI, entry into infected respiratory / GI / biliary / GU tract, penetrating trauma <4 hours old): medium risk 5% of
surgical site infection
dirty (purulent inflammation, pre-op perforation of respiratory / GI / biliary / GU tract, penetrating trauma >4 hours old): high risk 33-50% of surgical site infection
long procedure >2 hours long
use of drains
break in sterile technique
2) Patient risk factors age body habitus: obesity, malnutrition immune suppression radiation, chemotherapy comorbidity: diabetes, patient with other infection
3) Wound factors
reduced blood flow, hypoxemia, hypothermia
hematoma, seroma
foreign body (drains, sutures, grafts)
4) other factors
setting: prolonged pre-operative hospitalization
Most common bacterial pathogens that cause post op wound infection
Staphylococcus aureus Streptococcus spp. Clostridium spp. E. coli Enterococcus
Clinical presentation of post op wound infection
post-operative fever, classically POD #3-6
wound (signs of inflammation): blancheable wound erythema, swelling / induration, pain, frank pus or purulo-sanguinous discharge, warmth
Local infection complications of post op wound infection
fistula, sinus tracts, abscess, local spread (necrotizing fasciitis)
Local wound healing complications of post op wound infection
suppressed wound healing, wound dehiscence, evisceration, hernia
Systemic complications of post op wound infection
sepsis, super-infection
Prevention of surgical site infection
1) pre-operative
pre-operative IV antibiotics (typically Cefazolin) for all surgery, typically within 1 hour pre-incision and reduced Q4H in operating room (OR)
2) operative
maintain normothermia
hyper-oxygenation
chlorhexidine and alcohol wash of surgical site and hands
meticulous surgical hand hygiene
aseptic surgical technique
delayed primary closure of incision to reduce risk of superficial surgical site infection
3) post-operative
post-operative prophylactic antibiotics for contaminated and dirty surgeries (usually intra-abdominal infection requiring surgery)
Management of post op wound infection
1) source control
re-open affected part of incision and heal by secondary intention
debride necrotic & non-viable tissue, remove any infected foreign objects
2) monitoring
wound swab for C & S
demarcation of erythem
3) antibiotics
empiric antibiotic treatment
if not involving GI tract, GU tract, perineum and groin, then treat as cellulitis with Cefazolin IV
if involvement of GI tract, GU tract, perineum or groin, then Cefazolin IV + Ciprofloxacin IV + Metronidazole IV
step down to PO when stable and tolerating PO intake
narrow down spectrum based on wound culture
Wound dehiscence definition
disruption of fascial layer, usually at wound closure site due to intact suture tearing through fascia
Wound dehiscence risk factors
- surgical factors:
technical failure of closure
patient not fully paralyzed while closing
2. local factors: increased intra-abdominal pressure (e.g. lung hyper-inflation, ileus, bowel obstruction, obesity) hematoma infection poor blood supply radiation
3. patient factors: smoking malnutrition connective tissue disease immune suppression pulmonary disease ascites steroids chemotherapy
Wound dehiscence clinical presentation
presentation at typically POD #1-3
wound: serosanguinous drainage, lack of healing ridge (raised area of tissue at incision), evisceration (disruption of abdominal layers and extrusion of abdominal content)
Wound dehiscence treatment
place moist dressing over wound with binder around surgical site (e.g. around abdomen for abdominal incision)
if evisceration (surgical emergency), transfer patient to OR for operative closure using slowly absorbable suture and retention sutures
conservative management: debridement of fascial and skin margins to facilitate healing
Most clinically significant causes of hypotension
- Hypovolemia: intra-vascular depletion, hemorrhage
- Cardiogenic: myocardial ischemia / infarction, heart failure
- Distributive: vasodilation mainly due to vasodilators / anti-hypertensive medication, anesthesia, anaphylaxis