What is the effect of treatment modality on red blood cell distribution width in patients with acute cholecystitis?

Abstract

Objective:The red blood cell distribution width (RDW) has recently been used as a marker to predict outcome in various patient groups. In this study, we aimed to examine how RDW is influenced during the treatment and followup of cases of acute cholecystitis which is a common inflammatory disease.Material and Methods: Seventy-two patients who were treated for acute cholecystitis, were included into the study. The demographic data, leukocyte count, RDW, C-reactive protein (CRP) values and treatment protocols of these patients were prospectively recorded. The patients who received medical treatment for acute cholecystitis (Group A, n=33) and those who underwent surgery (Group B, n=39) were examined in separate groups.Results: There were 27 male and 45 female patients with a mean age of 50.1±18 years (min-max: 21-94). In Group B, 33 patients underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy, whereas 6 patients underwent open cholecystectomy. The RDW values on admission were not significantly different between two groups. However the post-treatment/predischarge RDW values were significantly lower in the surgical group (14.4±1.9 to 13.6±1.1, respectively, p<0.05). Also, no significant RDW change was identified in the medical treatment group based on an intra-group assessment, whereas a significant decrease was observed in Group B (on admission and following surgical treatment: 14.3±1.3, 13.6±1.1, respectively, p=0.015). No significant differences were observed between groups in terms of CRP and leucocyte values. Conclusion:There was a significant decrease in RDW values in patients who were treated with surgery for acute cholecystitis, while this response could not be observed with medical treatment.

Prognostic significance of red blood cell distribution width in gastrointestinal disorders

“…Patients with ITB had higher RDW, which overall displayed a better diagnostic efficiency (AUC = 0.812) than CRP (AUC = 0.176) and ESR (AUC = 0.804) in diagnosing ITB[ 68 ]. In an interesting study, Yazıcı et al[ 70 ] showed that patients with acute cholecystitis undergoing surgery had a significant decrease in RDW compared to those subjected to conservative management.…”

Is RDW a Predictive Parameter for Cubital Tunnel Syndrome Patients Requiring Surgery?

“… 2 - 4 , 11 Previous studies have clearly shown that some hematological parameters have been used as predictive markers for a decision to operate in other diseases. 12 - 14 …”

“…An elevated RDW indicates a greater variability in the size of the circulating RBCs (anisocytosis) and can occur in patients with nutritional deficiencies, haemoglobinopathies, and haemolysis. 15 In addition, RDW is associated with cardiovascular disease, 15 - 20 acute cholecystitis, 14 acute stroke, 21 celiac disease, 22 ankylosing spondylitis (AS), 23 and mortality in patients with hip fractures treated with a partial prosthesis. 24 RDW as inflammation marker is associated with many diseases and chronic inflammation condition.…”