Quintero IA, Pérez AA, Díaz MJ

Language: Spanish
References: 0
Page: 356-369
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ABSTRACT

Rationale: Nutritional derangement in a surgical patient is associated with a worse prognosis. Hypoalbuminemia prompts to the onset of potentially lethal postsurgical complications. Objectives: To establish the nutritional status of patients admitted to an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) after an abdominal surgery. Study location: Polyvalent Intensive Care Unit (PVICU), “Enrique Cabrera” Teaching Hospital, Havana city (Cuba). Study design: Retrospective, analytical. Study serie: One-hundred and sixty-seven patients (Males: 48.5%; Average age: 60.0 ± 19.1 years; Age ≥ 60 years: 52.7%; Average PVICU length of stay: 8.1 ± 11.0 days; Complications: 88.0%; Allcauses- mortality: 26.9%) admitted to the hospital PVICU after abdominal surgery between 2015 – 2016. Methods: Serum albumin was determined 24 hours after admittance to PVICU. Hypoalbuminemia (< 35.0 g.L-1) was correlated with occurrence of complications (death included) and length of PVICU stay. Results: Hypoalbuminemia affected 75.4% of the patients. Average albumin serum values were 28.4 ± 7.9 g.L-1. Hyoalbuminemia was associated with ages ≥ 60 years, prolonged length of stay, elevated ASA and APACHE II scores, and the use mechanical ventilation (MV). Hypoalbuminemia signaled those patients who died during PVICU admittance. Conclusions: Hypoalbuminemia is a prevailing condition in patients admitted to a PVICU due to postsurgical complications, and is associated with age, severity of las complications, use of MV, and condition upon discharge from PVICU.