Objective:

This study was of patients who underwent liver transplantation has the objective of determining glycemia values ​​in each phase of liver transplant surgery and their relationships with post-operative morbidity and mortality.

Materials and Methods:

Liver transplant patients were identified in institutional records from 2013 to 2015. The information was taken from operative notes, laboratory records and clinical histories. We searched for differences in blood glucose levels during the three phases of transplantation and compared the incidences of infections and rejections for diabetics and non-diabetics.

Results:

A total of 73 transplant patients were studied: 54.8% (n = 40) were male, the median age was 59 years (RIQ = 52-53), and 32.9% (n = 24) had histories of Diabetes Mellitus. Differences were found between initial and final serum glucose levels of diabetics (127 mg/dl vs. 212 mg/dl, p = 0.001) as well as in non-diabetics (105 mg/dl vs. 190 mg/dl, p < 0.000). The proportion of rejection was highest among diabetics (14.3%, n = 7). No significant differences were found in the proportions of diabetic and non-diabetic patients who developed infections. Diagnosis of post-transplant diabetes was confirmed in 15.1% of the sample.

Conclusions:

Adequate monitoring of blood glucose levels during all trans-operative periods of liver transplantation can equalize the rate of infectious complications in diabetic and non-diabetic patients. Rejection continues to be more frequent among diabetic patients. An active search for post-transplant diabetes is necessary for every patient.

        · abstract in Spanish     · text in English | Spanish     · English ( pdf ) | Spanish ( pdf )