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

We compared the onset of predictors for postoperative complications (lactat e, total T-3, (tT(3)), total T-4 (tT(4)) and cortisone) retrospectively wit h the onset of altered growth hormone (GH) concentration in a patient who h ad had a lethal postoperative outcome and in 13 patients who were without p ostoperative complications for a period of 24 hours postoperatively. Compared with the values of the patients without postoperative complication s, GH values were elevated (68-fold) 1 h after surgery to 103 ng/ml and lac tate was increased (12-fold) to 12.7 mmol/l at 6 h postoperatively in the p atient with the lethal outcome. The other parameters measured (tT(3), tT(4) and cortisone) showed no rapid alteration during the first hours postopera tively. This case report suggests that the rapid postoperative onset of raised GH c oncentration in plasma may be an earlier marker for postoperative complicat ions than the 'established' predictors.