Objective:

To evaluate the relationship between C reactive protein and procalcitonin levels and the appearance of post-operative intraabdominal infection, in patients with pancreaticoduodenectomy due to pancreatic cancer.

Method:

A prospective observational study, including 35 patients, was made. Procalcitonin and C reactive protein were measured before surgery, as well as 24, 48 and 72 h after the surgical procedure. Patients were divided in two groups, with and without intraabdominal infection.

Results:

Six patients (17.1%) presented post-operative intraabdominal infection. Both, procalcitonin and C reactive protein, increased in all patients after surgery, but there were no significant differences between the two groups. However, the ratio between the C reactive protein concentrations on post-operative day 3 and the concentrations on post-operative day 1 was significantly increased in the group of patients with intraabdominal infection. The predictive positive value and the predictive negative value for this ratio were 60% and 95%, respectively, for a cut-off point of 2.3.

Conclusions:

The ratio between C reactive protein value on post-operative day 3 and the value on post-operative day 1 is a good predictor of post-operative intraabdominal infection after pancreaticoduodenectomy.