Postoperative altered plasma growth hormone levels: A predictor for postoperative complications? A case report

• Published in: Current medical research and opinion Vol. 17; no. 2; pp. 88 - 92
• Main Authors: RÜMELIN, A, NIETGEN, G, PIRLICH, M, THUM, P, SCHÄFERS, H. J, VON ZUR MÜHLEN, A, KIRCHNE, E
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Reading Librapharm 01-01-2001; Informa Healthcare
• Subjects: Aged; Aortic Valve - transplantation; Biological and medical sciences; Biomarkers - blood; Cortisone - blood; Heart Valve Diseases - surgery; Human Growth Hormone - blood; Humans; Lactic Acid - blood; Male; Medical sciences; Pilot Projects; Postoperative Complications - blood; Predictive Value of Tests; Prospective Studies; Surgery (general aspects). Transplantations, organ and tissue grafts. Graft diseases; Surgery of the heart; Thyroid Hormones - blood; Human; Postoperative; Corticosteroid; Prediction; Somatotropin hormone; Cardiovascular disease; Aortic valve disease; Cortisone; Protein hormone; Lactates; Adenohypophyseal hormone; Cardiac valvular disease; Surgery; Thyroxine; Complication; Thyroid hormone; Predictive factor
• ISSN: 0300-7995; 1473-4877
• DOI: 10.1185/030079901317010711

We compared the onset of predictors for postoperative complications (lactate, total T2 (tT2), total T4 (tT4) and cortisone) retrospectively with the onset of altered growth hormone (GH) concentration in a patient who had had a lethal postoperative outcome and in 13 patients who were without postoperative complications for a period of 24 hours postoperatively. Compared with the values of the patients without postoperative complications, GH values were elevated (68-fold) 1 h after surgery to 103 ng/ml and lactate was increased (12-fold) to 12.7 mmol/l at 6 h postoperatively in the patient with the lethal outcome. The other parameters measured (tT3, tT4 and cortisone) showed no rapid alteration during the first hours postoperatively. This case report suggests that the rapid postoperative onset of raised GH concentration in plasma may be an earlier marker for postoperative complications than the 'established' predictors.