C-Reactive Protein Was an Early Predictor of Postoperative Infectious Complications After Pancreaticoduodenectomy for Pancreatic Cancer

Objective The study objective was to assess the predictive value of C-reactive protein (CRP) for the early detection of postoperative infectious complications (PICs) after pancreaticoduodenectomy. Summary of Background Data The incidence of PICs after pancreaticoduodenectomy still remains high and a clinically relevant problem, despite improvements in the surgical procedure. Methods We examined 110 consecutive patients who underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy for primary pancreatic cancer between 2006 and 2014. The predictive value was assessed by estimating the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). Clinical and laboratory data, including CRP, were analyzed with univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses to identify predictors of PICs of grade III or higher according to the Clavien-Dindo classification. Results PICs of grade III or higher occurred in 13 patients [11.8%; 95% confidence interval (CI), 6.45%–19.36%]. CRP level on postoperative day 3 (POD 3) was a good predictor of PICs (AUC, 0.815; 95% CI, 0.651–0.980), showing the highest accuracy among clinical and laboratory data. A cutoff value of 13.2 mg/dL yielded a sensitivity of 0.846 and a specificity of 0.794. On multivariate analysis, a POD 3 CRP level of 13.2 mg/dL or higher (odds ratio, 20.0; 95% CI, 4.07–97.9; P = 0.002) was a significant predictor of PICs after pancreaticoduodenectomy. Conclusions CRP elevation above 13.2 mg/dL on POD 3 is a significant predictive factor for PICs and should prompt an intense clinical search and therapeutic approach for PICs.