Investigation of malnutrition preoperatively in cases of elective gastrointestinal surgery

Despite the knowledge of malnutrition's effects and all developments in healthcare, malnutrition is stil a major health problem. Rates of malnutrition in hospitalized patients vary depending on location of hospital, patient population and clinic which study is conducted. Surgical patients who have malnutrition have higher mortality and morbidity rates and longer lenght of hospital stay than patients without malnutrition. In our study, we aimed to investigate rates of malnutrition, situations that are related to malnutrition and malnutrition's effect on lenght of hospital stay in cases undergoing elective gastrointestinal surgery. We studied 40 ASA I-III patients undergoing elective gastrointestinal surgery in our hospital's operating room. Preoperatively patients' age, sex, height, weight, ASA group, type of surgery, presence of comorbid diseases, if present, type of disease and being regulated or unregulated, albumin and CRP levels and NRS-2002 score were assessed and recorded by same person. Lenght of hospital stay is defined as the number of days between operation day and hospital discharge day. Patients whose NRS-2002 score ≥3, Body Mass İndex <18,5 kg/m² and serum albumin level <3 g/dl were accepted as malnourished. As a result of our study, the rate of malnutrition was 30 % in patients with elective gastrointestinal surgery. It was determined that malnourished patients' albumin levels were low, lenght of hospital stay was longer, malnutrition rate was higher in male patients and malnutrition rate increases with the increase of ASA score. This findings are statistically significant. In conclusion, malnutrition is common in gastrointestinal surgery patients. Preoperatively albumin levels and NRS-2002 score are contribute to diagnosis. Keywords: Malnutrition, gastrointestinal surgery, NRS-2002