Postoperative Complications Flashcards
Timeframe for immediate complications
Within 24 hours of surgery
Timeframe for early complications
Occur within 30 days of the operation or during the period of hospital stay
Timeframe of late complications
Occur after the patient has been discharged from hospital or more than 30 days from the operation
Define primary haemorrhage
- Occurs during the operation
- Should be controlled during the operation
Define reactionary haemorrhage
- Occurs within the first few hours of surgery
- e.g. due to clot disturbance with rise in BP
Define secondary haemorrhage
- Occurs a number of days after the operation
- Usually infection related but can also be due to sloughing of a clot or erosion of ligature
List the predisposing factors for haemorrhage
- Obesity
- Steroid therapy
- Jaundice
- Recent transfusion of stored blood
- Disorders of coagulation
- Platelet deficiencies
- Anticoagulation
- Old age
- Severe sepsis/DIC
Causes of pyrexia 1-3 days post-op
- Atelectasis
- Metabolic response to trauma
- Drug rections
- SIRS
- Line infection
- Instrumentation of a viscus or tract causing transient bacteraemia
Causes of pyrexia 4-6 days post-op
- Chest infection
- Superficial wound infection
- Urinary infection
- Line infection
Causes of pyrexia beyond 7 days post-op
- Chest infection
- Suppurative wound infection
- Anastomotic leak
- Deep abscess
- DVT
How can abdominal wound dehiscence be divided
- Superficial = skin wound alone fails
- Complete = failure of all layers
What factors increase the risk of wound dehiscence
- Malnutrition
- Vitamin deficiencies
- Jaundice
- Steroid use
- Major wound contamination
- Poor surgical technique (i.e. not abiding by Jenkins rule)
Management of complete wound dehiscence
- Analgesia
- IVF
- IV antibiotics
- Coverage of the wound with saline impregnated gauze
- Arrange to return to theatre
When may a dehisced wound be re-sutured
- Wound edges are healthy
- Enough tissue for suitable coverage
- Deep tension sutures are used
What method of re-closure should be used if the dehisced wound has some granulation tissue present over the viscera of there is high output bowel fistula present
Wound manager