Predicting the need for reoperation for abdominal infection.

Abdominal infection complicating abdominal operation is a serious clinical problem that is subject to diagnostic delay, which is a risk factor for adverse outcomes. Clinical examination and laboratory and imaging modalities become more accurate at achieving a diagnosis once the patient becomes sicker from infection but cannot reliably predict the need for reoperation early in the postoperative course. The Abdominal Reoperation Predictive Index scoring system synthesizes common sense and objective measurements in an attempt to predict the need for reintervention before it is too late. We encourage other centers to test this predictor in their own patient populations.