Association between preoperative levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D and hospital-acquired infections after hepatobiliary surgery: A prospective study in a third-level hospital

Introduction Evidence implicates vitamin D deficiency in poorer outcomes and increased susceptibility to hospital-acquired infections (HAIs). This study examined the association between serum vitamin D levels and HAIs in a population of hepatobiliary surgery patients. Methods Participants in this prospective analytical observational study were patients who underwent hepatobiliary surgery in a tertiary hospital in Aragon, Spain, between February 2018 and March 2019. Vitamin D concentrations were measured at admission and all nosocomial infections during hospitalization and after discharge were recorded. Results The mean 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration of the study population (n = 301) was 38.56 nmol/L, which corresponds to vitamin D deficiency. Higher vitamin D concentrations were associated with a decreased likelihood of developing a HAI in general (p = 0.014), and in particularly surgical site infection (p = 0.026). The risk of HAI decreased by 34% with each 26.2-nmol/L increase in serum vitamin D levels. Conclusions Vitamin D levels may constitute a modifiable risk factor for postoperative nosocomial infections in hepatobiliary surgery patients

Infección del sitio quirúrgico en cirugía hepatobiliopancreática y su relación con la concentración sérica de vitamina D

Introducción La relación entre las infecciones nosocomiales en pacientes quirúrgicos y la vitamina D ha sido estudiada por algunos autores. Sin embargo, hasta la fecha no existe ningún estudio realizado sobre pacientes de cirugía hepatobiliar. El objetivo de nuestro trabajo es estudiar la infección del sitio quirúrgico (ISQ) en la unidad de cirugía hepatobiliar, y valorar su relación con la concentración sérica de vitamina D. Métodos Se llevó a cabo un estudio analítico observacional de pacientes sucesivos intervenidos en la unidad de cirugía hepatobiliar de nuestro centro durante un año. Se incluyeron las intervenciones relativas a enfermedad biliar, pancreática y hepática. Se determinaron los niveles de vitamina D al ingreso, así como las ISQ de tipo superficial, profunda y órgano-cavitaria diagnosticadas durante el estudio. El seguimiento del paciente se realizó durante al menos un mes tras la cirugía, dependiendo de la enfermedad. La estadística se realizó mediante el programa estadístico R v.3.1.3. Resultados La muestra quedó constituida por 321 pacientes, de los cuales el 25, 8% presentó ISQ a expensas fundamentalmente de las infecciones órgano-cavitarias que presentaron una incidencia del 24, 3%. Concentraciones séricas superiores a 33, 5 nmol/l demostraron reducir en un 50% el riesgo de ISQ. Conclusiones Las concentraciones elevadas de vitamina D en sangre demostraron ser un factor protector frente a las ISQ (OR: 0, 99). Nuestros resultados sugieren una relación directa entre la concentración sérica de vitamina D y la ISQ, justificando la realización de nuevos estudios prospectivos. Introduction: While several studies have examined the correlation between vitamin D concentrations and post-surgical nosocomial infections, this relationship has yet to be characterized in hepatobiliary surgery patients. We investigated the relationship between serum vitamin D concentration and the incidence of surgical site infection (SSI) in patients in our hepatobiliary surgery unit. Methods: Participants in this observational study were 321 successive patients who underwent the following types of interventions in the hepatobiliary surgery unit of our center over a 1-year period: cholecystectomy, pancreaticoduodenectomy, total pancreatectomy, segmentectomy, hepatectomy, hepaticojejunostomy and exploratory laparotomy. Serum vitamin D levels were measured upon admission and patients were followed up for 1 month. Mean group values were compared using a Student's T-test or Chi-squared test. Statistical analyses were performed using the Student's T-test, the Chi-squared test, or logistic regression models. Results: Serum concentrations >33.5 nmol/l reduced the risk of SSI by 50%. Out of the 321 patients analyzed, 25.8% developed SSI, mainly due to organ-cavity infections (incidence, 24.3%). Serum concentrations of over 33.5 nmol/l reduced the risk of SSI by 50%. Conclusions: High serum levels of vitamin D are a protective factor against SSI (OR, 0.99). Our results suggest a direct relationship between serum vitamin D concentrations and SSI, underscoring the need for prospective studies to assess the potential benefits of vitamin D in SSI prevention