Table 1 Details of patients, surgeries and fluid treatment, selected blood parameters and outcome measures

N

20

28

18

22

Age (years)

62 (10)

58 (13)

56 (12)

63 (8)

NS

Body weight (kg)

59 (7)

59 (8)

62 (8)

58 (8)

NS

Males (per cent)

75

54

72

77

Gastric/colonic/rectal cancer (N)

11/2/7

5/9/14

0/7/11

17/3/2

Open surgery (N)

5

4

5

1

Anaesthesia time (min)

262 (96)

272 (62)

269 (60)

242 (65)

NS

Operating time (min)

206 (97)

201 (64)

206 (63)

195 (62)

NS

Blood loss (ml)

205 (138)

160 (114)

200 (89)

194 (114)

NS

Urine output (ml)

516 (402)

557 (168)

441 (286)

361 (156)

NS

Starch (ml)

1125 (235)

1018 (94)

1000 (0)

420 (179)

P < 0.001

Ringer’s lactate (ml)

1475 (472)

1438 (534)

1333 (542)

2295 (480)

P < 0.001

Erythrocytes (N; ml)

5; 420 (277)

1; 700

1; 300

6; 454 (282)

Plasma (N; ml)

0

1; 500

1; 230

3; 417 (40)

Blood haemoglobin (g/L)

   Before surgery

128 (17)

124 (24)

127 (24)

124 (22)

NS

   After surgery

112 (15)

115 (15)

113 (19)

111 (16)

NS

Serum creatinine (μmol/L)

   Before surgery

69 (13)

68 (17)

65 (14)

75 (14)

NS

   After surgery

63 (12)

61 (18)

58 (12)

64 (10)

NS

Time in PACU (min)

71 (25)

60 (23)

66 (34)

97 (40)

P < 0.001

Paralytic ileus (days)

3.2 (0.9)

3.6 (1.4)

2.7 (0.9)

3.5 (1.1)

P = 0.054

Food intolerance (days)

4.5 (1.9)

4.6 (1.9)

4.6 (2.4)

6.5 (3.5)

P < 0.03

Complications per operation

0.35

0.36

0.28

0.23

NS

Infectious complications (N)

5

2

3

1

Bleeding complications (N)

1

3

1

1

Length of hospital stay (days)

13.0 (4.6)

13.9 (2.6)

13.3 (3.0)

13.3 (4.7)

NS