PREDICTIVE VALUE OF SERUM CRP AND IL-6 LEVELS FOR POSTOPERATIVE COMPLICATIONS IN PATIENTS UNDERGOING CRANIOTOMY
Main Article Content
Keywords
C-reactive protein, Interleukin-6, Craniotomy, Neurosurgery, Postoperative complications, Biomarkers
Abstract
Background: Craniotomy is a common neurosurgical procedure associated with significant postoperative risks, including infection, inflammation, and neurological complications. Inflammatory biomarkers such as C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) are known to rise after surgery, but their predictive value for postoperative outcomes in neurosurgical patients remains underexplored.
Objective: To evaluate the predictive value of serum CRP and IL-6 levels for postoperative complications in patients undergoing craniotomy.
Methods: This prospective cross-sectional observational study was conducted at the Departments of Neurosurgery, Ghurki Trust Teaching Hospital, Lahore, and Sahiwal Teaching Hospital, Sahiwal, from January 2024 to March 2025. A total of 150 patients undergoing elective or emergency craniotomy were included. Serum CRP and IL-6 levels were measured preoperatively and on postoperative days 1, 3, and 7 using an immunoturbidimetric assay and ELISA, respectively. Patients were followed for 14 days post-surgery for the development of infectious and non-infectious complications. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 26, and ROC curve analysis was applied to determine predictive accuracy.
Results: Postoperative complications occurred in 29.3% of patients. Mean IL-6 and CRP levels were significantly higher in patients with complications, peaking on postoperative day 3 (IL-6: 184.5 ± 56.8 pg/mL vs. 85.1 ± 32.7 pg/mL; CRP: 92.4 ± 24.7 mg/L vs. 46.3 ± 17.5 mg/L; p < 0.001). ROC analysis showed IL-6 had greater predictive accuracy (AUC = 0.91) compared to CRP (AUC = 0.85).
Conclusion: Both CRP and IL-6 are useful biomarkers for predicting postoperative complications following craniotomy, with IL-6 serving as a more sensitive and earlier predictor. Regular postoperative monitoring of IL-6 may enable timely intervention and improved patient outcomes.
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
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M. Nauman Shahid
House officer, Ghurki Trust Teaching Hospital, Lahore, Pakistan
Muhammad Umer Arif
Lecturer, University of Health Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan
Areeba Farooq
Medical officer, Sahiwal Teaching Hospital, Sahiwal, Pakistan
Muhammad Talha Javaid
Medical officer, Sahiwal Teaching Hospital, Sahiwal, Pakistan
Rabeeza Asghar
Lahore Medical and Dental College, Lahore, Pakistan
Muhammad Numan Javed
House officer, Ghurki Trust Teaching Hospital, Lahore, Pakistan
Moin Haider
House officer, Ghurki Trust Teaching Hospital, Lahore, Pakistan
Mian Ukasha Mukhtar
House officer, Ghurki Trust Teaching Hospital, Lahore, Pakistan
Maryam Faiz Ch
GC University, Faisalabad, Pakistan
