What laboratory test might be ordered after surgery to assess for infection?

The complete blood count (CBC) is a key laboratory test that is often ordered postoperatively to assess for infection. One of the primary components of a CBC is the white blood cell (WBC) count, which can indicate the presence of an infection in the body. An elevated WBC count often suggests that the body is fighting an infection, while a decrease in the count may indicate other issues such as bone marrow suppression or overwhelming infection.

In the context of postoperative care, monitoring the WBC count can provide critical information about a patient's recovery and the potential development of postoperative complications, such as surgical site infections. This makes the CBC the most relevant test for detecting signs of infection after surgery.

Other tests like a coagulation profile, basic metabolic panel, and liver function tests serve different purposes. The coagulation profile is more focused on assessing blood clotting ability, the basic metabolic panel evaluates electrolyte levels and kidney function, and liver function tests assess the health of the liver. While all these tests may provide valuable information in a postoperative setting, they do not directly assess for infection as effectively as a CBC does.