NYMC Faculty Publications

The Role of Nutritional Access in Malnourished Elderly Undergoing Major Surgery for Acute Abdomen: A Propensity Score-Matched Analysis

Author Type(s)

Faculty

Journal Title

The American Surgeon

First Page

1252

Last Page

1258

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

8-2021

Department

Surgery

Abstract

BACKGROUND: About 50% of the elderly undergoing emergency abdominal surgery are malnourished. The role of timely surgical nutritional access in this group of patients is unknown.

METHODS: We analyzed the National Inpatient Sample database from 2009 through the first three-quarters of 2015 of patients aged ≥65 years who were malnourished and underwent major abdominal surgery for the acute abdomen within the first 2 days of hospital admission.

RESULTS: Of 3 246 721 patients analyzed, 4311 patients met inclusion criteria. Of these, only 507 (11.8%) patients had surgical nutritional access (gastrostomy or jejunostomy) (group I), while 3804 patients (88.2%) did not (group II). In the propensity score-matched population, there were 482 patients in each group. The patients in group I had lower odds of mortality and postoperative gastrointestinal complications (paralytic ileus, anastomotic dehiscence, and intestinal fistulae) (

DISCUSSION: Elderly who receive surgical nutritional access have lower rates of gastrointestinal complications and mortality.

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