1984 Volume 4 Issue 3 Pages 263-269
Serum zinc concentrations have been reported to be decreased during many acute disease states including burns, myocardial infarction, surgical trauma and various acute infectious illness. In this study, serum zinc was followed in 24 patients for 7 days after minor and major surgery.
Mean serum zinc concentrations in 16 major surgical patients fell from 101±15.5μg per 100ml preoperatively to the lowest level of 57±10.6μg per 100ml 2 hours postoperatively. Thereafter, serum zinc levels rose steadily to 94±24.6μg per 100ml on the third postoperative day. Mean serum zinc concentrations in 8 minor surgical patients fell from 104±22.8μg per 100ml preoperatively to the lowest level of 78±18.0μg per 100ml 24 hours postoperatively. Thereafter, serum zinc rose gradually to 84±16.7μg per 100ml on the third postoperative day. After one hour of operation and two hours postoperatively, the major surgery group has significant lower serum zinc level than the minor surgery group.
Thus the onset and degree of reduction in serum zinc levels appeared to be dependent upon the magnitude of the surgical stress. But the recovery of serum zinc level in the major surgery group occurs as quickly as in minor surgery group.
