Antibiotic Prophylaxis And Postoperative Fever In Patients With Elective Endoscopic Treatment For Gastroesophageal Varices: A Retrospective Study

Objective: To investigate the relationship between fever and antibiotic prophylaxis after elective endoscopic variceal ligation(EVL)and/or endoscopic injection of histo-adhensive(EIH)in patients with gastroesophageal varices(GOV).The potential factors of post-operation fever were also analyzed.Method: A single center,retrospective study was conducted on consecutive cases who were cirrhosis with GOV and were endoscopic treated electively.Post-operation fever was defined as a axillary temperature over 37.5?.Antibiotic prophylaxis was defined as antibiotics administration within 12 hours before and after EVL or EIH.The patients were divided into two groups,including patients with(Group A)or without(Group B)antibiotic prophylaxis.The potential factors of postoperative fever were analyzed.Result: A total of 134 subjects were enrolled in the study,involving 30 cases in Group A and 104 cases in Group B.Besides the degree of gastric varices,the mean age,gender,etiology,mean bands of ligation,with or without EIH in the two groups were showed not significantly different(p>0.05).The incidence of post-operation fever in Group A was 40%(12/30),which was statistically similar to that in Group B(49%,21/104)(p>0.05).Of these post-operation fever patients,96.8% of them were occurred within 72 hours after operation,80.95% cases were lasted 72 hours,while 93.65% cases were <39?.There was no significant difference in the time and degree of postoperative fever between the two groups(p>0.05).A logistic regression analysis showed that post-operation fever was not associated with age,Child-Pugh classification,bands of ligation,injection points and dosage of EIH,cirrhosis etiology,or antibiotic prophylaxis.(p>0.05)Conclusion: Antibiotic prophylaxis in patients with GOV is not the influencing factor of fever after selective endoscopic therapy.