Factors Associated with Malnutrition and Its Impact on Postoperative Outcomes in Older Patients

Malnutrition is associated with dismal treatment outcomes in older patients but its impact in geriatric surgery has not been studied extensively. Herein, we report the prevalence of malnutrition risk, its risk factors and its association with postoperative outcomes in older patients undergoing opera...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Maria Venianaki, Alexandros Andreou, Taxiarchis Konstantinos Nikolouzakis, Emmanuel Chrysos, George Chalkiadakis, Konstantinos Lasithiotakis
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2021-06-01
Series:Journal of Clinical Medicine
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/10/12/2550
_version_ 1797530825265250304
author Maria Venianaki
Alexandros Andreou
Taxiarchis Konstantinos Nikolouzakis
Emmanuel Chrysos
George Chalkiadakis
Konstantinos Lasithiotakis
author_facet Maria Venianaki
Alexandros Andreou
Taxiarchis Konstantinos Nikolouzakis
Emmanuel Chrysos
George Chalkiadakis
Konstantinos Lasithiotakis
author_sort Maria Venianaki
collection DOAJ
description Malnutrition is associated with dismal treatment outcomes in older patients but its impact in geriatric surgery has not been studied extensively. Herein, we report the prevalence of malnutrition risk, its risk factors and its association with postoperative outcomes in older patients undergoing operations of general surgery. This is a retrospective analysis of a prospectively maintained database including patients older than 65 years who were to undergo general surgery operations between 2012 and 2017. The Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST) was used for nutritional risk. Demographics, socioeconomic data, site and magnitude of the operation, various measures of comorbidity and functional dependence as well as postoperative complications based on Clavien–Dindo classification and length of stay were recorded. There were 501 patients. A total of 28.6% of them were at intermediate malnutrition risk (MUST = 1) and 14.6% were at high malnutrition risk (MUST ≥ 2). Variables independently associated with malnutrition risk (MUST ≥ 1) were smoking (Odds Ratio, OR:1.6, <i>p</i> = 0.041), upper gastrointestinal (GI) tract surgery (OR:20.4, <i>p</i> < 0.001), hepatobiliary-pancreatic surgery (OR:3.7, <i>p</i> = 0.001), lower GI surgery (OR:5.2, <i>p</i> < 0.001) and American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) class III/IV (OR:2.8, <i>p</i> = 0.001). In the multiple regression analysis adjusted for several confounding variables, the MUST score was significantly associated with postoperative death (OR:9.1, <i>p</i> = 0.047 for MUST = 1 and OR:11.9, <i>p</i> = 0.035 for MUST score ≥ 2) and postoperative hospital stay (adjusted incidence rate ratio, 1.3, <i>p</i> = 0.041 for MUST = 1 and 1.7, <i>p</i> < 0.001 for MUST ≥ 2). Malnutrition risk was highly prevalent in this sample, particularly in patients with operations of the gastrointestinal tract, in patients with poor physical status and it was associated with postoperative mortality and length of stay.
first_indexed 2024-03-10T10:34:29Z
format Article
id doaj.art-c5f5462645bf41a8b6dba15c7dad2fb5
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 2077-0383
language English
last_indexed 2024-03-10T10:34:29Z
publishDate 2021-06-01
publisher MDPI AG
record_format Article
series Journal of Clinical Medicine
spelling doaj.art-c5f5462645bf41a8b6dba15c7dad2fb52023-11-21T23:23:50ZengMDPI AGJournal of Clinical Medicine2077-03832021-06-011012255010.3390/jcm10122550Factors Associated with Malnutrition and Its Impact on Postoperative Outcomes in Older PatientsMaria Venianaki0Alexandros Andreou1Taxiarchis Konstantinos Nikolouzakis2Emmanuel Chrysos3George Chalkiadakis4Konstantinos Lasithiotakis5Department of General Surgery, University General Hospital of Heraklion, 71110 Heraklion, Crete, GreeceDepartment of General Surgery, University General Hospital of Heraklion, 71110 Heraklion, Crete, GreeceDepartment of General Surgery, University General Hospital of Heraklion, 71110 Heraklion, Crete, GreeceDepartment of General Surgery, University General Hospital of Heraklion, 71110 Heraklion, Crete, GreeceDepartment of General Surgery, University General Hospital of Heraklion, 71110 Heraklion, Crete, GreeceDepartment of General Surgery, University General Hospital of Heraklion, 71110 Heraklion, Crete, GreeceMalnutrition is associated with dismal treatment outcomes in older patients but its impact in geriatric surgery has not been studied extensively. Herein, we report the prevalence of malnutrition risk, its risk factors and its association with postoperative outcomes in older patients undergoing operations of general surgery. This is a retrospective analysis of a prospectively maintained database including patients older than 65 years who were to undergo general surgery operations between 2012 and 2017. The Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST) was used for nutritional risk. Demographics, socioeconomic data, site and magnitude of the operation, various measures of comorbidity and functional dependence as well as postoperative complications based on Clavien–Dindo classification and length of stay were recorded. There were 501 patients. A total of 28.6% of them were at intermediate malnutrition risk (MUST = 1) and 14.6% were at high malnutrition risk (MUST ≥ 2). Variables independently associated with malnutrition risk (MUST ≥ 1) were smoking (Odds Ratio, OR:1.6, <i>p</i> = 0.041), upper gastrointestinal (GI) tract surgery (OR:20.4, <i>p</i> < 0.001), hepatobiliary-pancreatic surgery (OR:3.7, <i>p</i> = 0.001), lower GI surgery (OR:5.2, <i>p</i> < 0.001) and American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) class III/IV (OR:2.8, <i>p</i> = 0.001). In the multiple regression analysis adjusted for several confounding variables, the MUST score was significantly associated with postoperative death (OR:9.1, <i>p</i> = 0.047 for MUST = 1 and OR:11.9, <i>p</i> = 0.035 for MUST score ≥ 2) and postoperative hospital stay (adjusted incidence rate ratio, 1.3, <i>p</i> = 0.041 for MUST = 1 and 1.7, <i>p</i> < 0.001 for MUST ≥ 2). Malnutrition risk was highly prevalent in this sample, particularly in patients with operations of the gastrointestinal tract, in patients with poor physical status and it was associated with postoperative mortality and length of stay.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/10/12/2550geriatric surgerygeneral surgerymalnutritionmalnutrition universal screening tool
spellingShingle Maria Venianaki
Alexandros Andreou
Taxiarchis Konstantinos Nikolouzakis
Emmanuel Chrysos
George Chalkiadakis
Konstantinos Lasithiotakis
Factors Associated with Malnutrition and Its Impact on Postoperative Outcomes in Older Patients
Journal of Clinical Medicine
geriatric surgery
general surgery
malnutrition
malnutrition universal screening tool
title Factors Associated with Malnutrition and Its Impact on Postoperative Outcomes in Older Patients
title_full Factors Associated with Malnutrition and Its Impact on Postoperative Outcomes in Older Patients
title_fullStr Factors Associated with Malnutrition and Its Impact on Postoperative Outcomes in Older Patients
title_full_unstemmed Factors Associated with Malnutrition and Its Impact on Postoperative Outcomes in Older Patients
title_short Factors Associated with Malnutrition and Its Impact on Postoperative Outcomes in Older Patients
title_sort factors associated with malnutrition and its impact on postoperative outcomes in older patients
topic geriatric surgery
general surgery
malnutrition
malnutrition universal screening tool
url https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/10/12/2550
work_keys_str_mv AT mariavenianaki factorsassociatedwithmalnutritionanditsimpactonpostoperativeoutcomesinolderpatients
AT alexandrosandreou factorsassociatedwithmalnutritionanditsimpactonpostoperativeoutcomesinolderpatients
AT taxiarchiskonstantinosnikolouzakis factorsassociatedwithmalnutritionanditsimpactonpostoperativeoutcomesinolderpatients
AT emmanuelchrysos factorsassociatedwithmalnutritionanditsimpactonpostoperativeoutcomesinolderpatients
AT georgechalkiadakis factorsassociatedwithmalnutritionanditsimpactonpostoperativeoutcomesinolderpatients
AT konstantinoslasithiotakis factorsassociatedwithmalnutritionanditsimpactonpostoperativeoutcomesinolderpatients