Investigation of malnutrition rates in open heart surgery and related risk factors in Abant İzzet Baysal Üniversity of Health Research and Application Center

ABSTRACTMalnutrition is a major health problem in spite of the developments in the field of health. Rates of malnutrition in hospitalized patients may vary depending on the type of hospital and patient population. Malnourished patients have higher mortality and morbidity rates, longer length of hospital stay and much more drug use than patients without malnutrition. Patients with cardiac cachexia or obese do not tolerate well the heart surgery. In our study, we aimed to investigate rates of malnutrition in hospitalized patients undergoing open heart surgery and the associated risk factors.We studied 50 ASA II-III patients aged between 40-85 undergoing elective open heart surgery. Patients whose NRS-2002 score ? 3 and/or, Body Mass Index (BMI) <18.5 kg/m2, and/or serum albumin level <3 g / dl were evaluated as malnourished. Preoperatively patients? age, sex, presence of comorbid disease (diabetes mellitus, hypertension, COPD) and type of operation were recorded. Preoperative left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), and values of pulmonary function tests (FVC, FEV1, FEV1/FVC), hemoglobin, hematocrit, lymphocyte count, albumin, CRP, and cholesterol values were recorded. Length of stay in intensive care unit and service, type of complications that occurred during hospitalization were recorded. Values of Pulmonary function tests were also obtained on the day patients discharged.In our hospital, the rate of malnutrition was 20 % in patients with open-heart surgery. Patients at risk of malnutrition had longer postoperative intubated time, length of stay in ICU and in service, higher rates of postoperative complications and lower preoperative and postoperative FEV1, FVC, and FEV1/FVC values than those without risk of malnutrition. But these findings were not statistically significant. In addition, length of stay in the ICU and service were found longer in overweight and obese patients than others.In summary, a high rate of malnutrition can be observed in patients with open-heart surgery. Malnutrition has negative postoperative effects in these patients.Keywords: Malnutrition, open heart surgery, NRS-2002, body mass indexKeywords: Malnutrition, open heart surgery, NRS-2002, body mass index