Ward work & theatre careFree in the app
Post-operative problems
Fever, ileus and organ injury.
Source: Standard surgical teachingFever by day — 5 Ws
| Day 0–2 · Wind | Atelectasis, pneumonia. |
|---|---|
| Day 3–5 · Water | UTI (catheter). |
| Day 3–5 · Walking | DVT and PE. |
| Day 5–7 · Wound | Wound infection, pelvic collection, vault haematoma; consider bowel leak. |
| Any day · Wonder drugs | Drug fever, transfusion reaction, line sepsis. |
Organ injury
| Bladder | Repair in two layers; catheter 7–14 days (cystogram before removal). |
|---|---|
| Bowel | Call general surgeons. Late perforation at 2–5 days: peritonism, sepsis — CT and laparotomy. |
| Ureter | Call urology. Late signs: loin pain, fever, ileus, rising creatinine, watery vaginal leak — CT urogram. |
Ileus vs obstruction
| Ileus | Distension, quiet bowel, no colic. Drip and suck, correct K/Mg/Ca, reduce opioids. |
|---|---|
| Obstruction | Colicky pain, tinkling bowel sounds, transition point on CT — surgical review. |
A summary for trained clinicians. Always check the full guideline, the patient in front of you and your hospital's protocol. Spotted an error? Tell us.