THE MECHANISM OF DELAYED WOUND HEALING IN THE PRESENCE OF HYPOPROTEINEMIA

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Abstract
During the past decade protein deficiency has been shown to have an important influence on many of the problems of clinical surgery. Gastrointestinal motility, especially gastric emptying after anastomosis of the stomach and jejunum, was shown to be profoundly retarded by protein depletion,1 and it was shown that in certain instances "vicious circle" can be relieved by transfusion.2 Goldschmidt, Vars and Ravdin3 demonstrated that the protein balance of the body profoundly influences the vulnerability of the liver to chloroform. As a corollary to this principle, diets high in protein as well as carbohydrate were recommended in the treatment of patients with extensive hepatic disease.4 It is believed that such diets will also prove of great value in the preparation of the thyrotoxic patient for operation. The relation of hypoproteinemia to wound disruption was first demonstrated in the dog by Thompson, Ravdin and Frank5 in 1938. They