Does age affect liver function and the hepatic acute phase response after major abdominal surgery?
OBJECTIVE: The liver plays a key role in the inflammatory response during major surgery or infection. The influence of age on liver function and hepatic acute phase protein (APP) synthesis should be serially studied in elderly patients undergoing major abdominal surgery. DESIGN AND SETTING: Prospective and descriptive study over 3 days. Clinical investigation in the operating room and surgical intensive care unit (ICU) of a tertiary care hospital. PATIENTS AND INTERVENTIONS: 42 consecutive patients were grouped according to age: less than 60 years (“adult”) or over 65 years (“elderly”) and prospectively studied. All patients received standardized general anesthesia and were treated afterwards according to the standard protocols of our ICU. Intensivists caring for the patients were not involved in the study and were blinded to data analysis. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: Concentrations of interleukin (IL)-6, serum amyloid A (SAA), C-reactive protein (CRP), alpha1-antitrypsin (alpha1-AT), an
