surgical belly button wound infection and crp of 18

I have had a problem with a surgical belly button healing. I had emergency surgery on 24th October 2011 done laproscopic with three wound sites. The other tow sites healed but my belly button healed. I had swabs taken which showed coliform and had been on 4 different antibiotics. I then got sent for a CT scan which showed I had an umbilical hernia so got operated on the 19th December to sort wound out and repair hernia which was only done through belly button. On Christmas Eve it re-opened an swap showed staph areus and coliform so was put on oral antibiotics which didn't work so was admitted for IV antibiotics which closed the wound but after getting home from hospital it re-opened and was put on oral antibiotics which did nothing. My gynaecologist consultant who had done the operations didn't know what to do so I got referred to a general surgeon who took a swab and I am having a MRI scan. I saw my G.P today as I am really not feeling well. My gynaecologist took some bloods done on the 12th January which showed my CRP was 18mg/l and my eosinophils are elevated but in december when I had bloods done everything was normal as far as I know. I am getting checked out for lymphoma and see my haematologist next Monday but am wondering is the crp from my wound infection or if I have lymphoma could it possible to do with that. I have had my crp tested loads of time and the highest it has ever gone up is to 3mg/l and I have also had this wound infection since Oct so why has it taken my crp to go up so slowly when it was normal in December.

I would really appreciate your help

Kind Regards

Irishgirl aka Emma

[Ken_PA]

Hi, I've just looked again through your past posts.

It's possible the high CRP is due to the infection or Hodgkin's lymphoma, or to both - though the suddenness of the rise probably points to the infection.

But Hodgkin's Lymphoma can also cause the high eosinophils, which in turn could cause the problem with the wound healing (since eosinophils make the blood-chemical plasmin which counteracts normal clotting). The eosinophils are also involved in uterus/ovary, so maybe the underlying problem really is an infection - brought about because of your immune deficiency and the CD4 condition.

Just speculating: maybe the infection was previously confined but it suddenly spread and that's why your bloods showed a sudden change. It's all guesswork but if the hema evaluates your swollen neck/clavicle nodes and eliminates Hodgkin's, then that will point very strongly to infection. However, one would then have to wonder why an infection in and around your wound area would result in swollen neck/clavicle nodes.

Can Hodgkin Disease cause a sudden sharp rise in CRP? I don't know, but if it can I'd guess it is not usual. That'd be a question to certainly ask of the hema.

Good luck, I hope you get some answers soon. It would probably be very desirable at this point to have one of the nodes biopsied.

[Ken_PA]

Hi, I've just looked again through your past posts.

It's possible the high CRP is due to the infection or Hodgkin's lymphoma, or to both - though the suddenness of the rise probably points to the infection.

But Hodgkin's Lymphoma can also cause the high eosinophils, which in turn could cause the problem with the wound healing (since eosinophils make the blood-chemical plasmin which counteracts normal clotting). The eosinophils are also involved in uterus/ovary, so maybe the underlying problem really is an infection - brought about because of your immune deficiency and the CD4 condition.

Just speculating: maybe the infection was previously confined but it suddenly spread and that's why your bloods showed a sudden change. It's all guesswork but if the hema evaluates your swollen neck/clavicle nodes and eliminates Hodgkin's, then that will point very strongly to infection. However, one would then have to wonder why an infection in and around your wound area would result in swollen neck/clavicle nodes.

Can Hodgkin Disease cause a sudden sharp rise in CRP? I don't know, but if it can I'd guess it is not usual. That'd be a question to certainly ask of the hema.

Good luck, I hope you get some answers soon. It would probably be very desirable at this point to have one of the nodes biopsied.

[irishgirl1980]

Thanks Ken_PA

Hopefully I will get some answers on Monday. I am having a nightmare with consultants who don't want to treat my wound infection which is showing Staphylococcus  Aureus and I am now on my 11th Oral antibiotics. The only time it cleared up is IV antibiotics. I have sent an email to my General Surgeon who had taken my gallbladder out to get his opinion.

Thanks a lot

Emma

[Ken_PA]

well, it might be the MRSA then

it seems so odd the way they are behaving