Comparative Description of the Serum Total Testosterone Levels Before and after Surgery in Males with Acute Infectious Pulmonary Destruction
Objective: to study the influence of surgery on the serum total testosterone level in males with acute infectious pulmonary destruction (AIPD). Material and methods. 60 males aged 29-84 who had been operated for AIPD were examined. The serum total testosterone level was measured with the radioimmunoassay method on the 2<sup>d</sup> day after the admission to the ward, the day before and within 1-3 days after the surgery. Testosterone deficiency was diagnosed when the testosterone levels were less than 3.5 ng/ml. Results. The serum total testosterone level was 1.31 [0.55; 3.1] ng/ml in the patients with AIPD upon their admission to the ward. Testosterone deficiency was detected in 46 out of 60 (77 %) cases. 1 patient was not operated, another patient died during the first day after the surgery. After the surgery, the patients with AIPD showed a statistically significant decrease in the serum total testosterone level from 1.33 [0.56; 3.38] to 1.18 [0.66; 2.1] ng/ml (p<sub>Wil</sub><sub>coxon</sub> = 0.026) and the number of cases of androgenic deficiency increased from 44 (76 %) to 49 (85 %) among the 58 people (χ<sup>2</sup> = 1.36; p = 0.24). Conclusion . Surgical intervention in patients with AIPD contributes to low serum total testosterone levels and increases the number of cases of testosterone deficiency in the early postoperative period, which must be considered during the planning of androgen replacement therapy.