Major oncological surgery reduces muscular function in patients with or without nutritional risk

The 30-day readmission rate of patients with an overlap of probable sarcopenia and malnutrition undergoing major oncological surgery

BACKGROUND

Overlapping sarcopenia and malnutrition may increase the risk of readmission in surgical oncology. Overlapping probable sarcopenia/malnutrition was found in 4.6% of 238 patients and the 30-day unplanned readmission rate was 9.0%. In multivariate analysis, the overlap of probable sarcopenia and malnutrition was a significant predictor for the 30-day unplanned readmission (OR= 8.10, 95%CI= 1.20-0.55; p=0.032).

BACKGROUND

■ Probable sarcopenia plus malnutrition was significantly associated with unplanned readmission.

BACKGROUND

■ Overlap of probable sarcopenia and malnutrition was an independent risk factor for readmission.

BACKGROUND

■ Certification of whether the patient is malnourished and/or sarcopenic preoperatively is necessary.

BACKGROUND

■ SARC-F and subjective global assessment can effectively and easily assess sarcopenia and malnutrition at admission.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the 30-day unplanned readmission rate and its association with overlapping probable sarcopenia and malnutrition after major oncological surgery.

METHODS

A prospective bicentric observational cohort study performed with adult oncological patients undergoing major surgery. The primary outcome was unplanned readmission within 30 days after discharge and the association with probable sarcopenia and malnutrition. Nutritional status and probable sarcopenia were assessed just prior to surgery. Patients classified using subjective global assessment, as B and C were malnourished. Probable sarcopenia was defined using SARC-F (strength, assistance with walking, rise from a chair, climb stairs, falls) questionnaire ≥4 points and low HGS (handgrip strength) <27kg for males and <16kg for females.

RESULTS

Two hundred and thirty-eight patients (51.7% female) with a median age of 60 years were included. The 30-day readmission rate was 9.0% (n=20). Univariate analysis showed an association of malnutrition (odds ratio (OR) = 4.84; p=0.024) and probable sarcopenia (OR = 4.94; p=0.049) with 30-day readmission. Furthermore, when both conditions were present, the patient was almost nine times more likely to be readmitted (OR = 8.9; p=0.017). Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that overlapping probable sarcopenia and malnutrition was an independent predictor of 30-day unplanned readmission (OR = 8.10, 95% confidence interval (95%CI) 1.20-0.55; p=0.032).

CONCLUSION

The 30-day unplanned readmission rate was 9.0%, and the overlap of probable sarcopenia and malnutrition is an independent predictor for the 30-day unplanned readmission after major oncologic surgery.

Exploring the use of the GLIM criteria to diagnose malnutrition in cancer inpatients

OBJECTIVES

The Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) criteria establish a diagnosis of malnutrition based on the presence of at least one phenotypic and one etiologic criterion. This study aimed to assess the concurrent and predictive validity of the GLIM criteria in hospitalized cancer patients.

METHODS

This is an observational retrospective study, including 885 cancer patients, ages >18 y, admitted to a medical oncology inpatient unit between 2019 and 2020. All patients at risk for malnutrition according to the Nutritional Risk Screening 2002 score were assessed by the subjective global assessment (SGA) and 14 different combinations of the GLIM criteria. The SGA was considered the gold standard for assessing the concurrent validity of the GLIM combinations. For a subsample of patients with data available on inflammatory markers (n = 198), the serum albumin and C-reactive protein were included in the combinations as etiologic criteria. The predictive validity of the different combinations was tested using the occurrence of surgical complications as the clinical outcome. The sensitivity and specificity values were calculated to assess the concurrent validity, univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were used to test predictive validity. Adequate concurrent and predictive validity were determined as sensitivity and specificity values >80% and odds ratio values ≥2.0, respectively.

RESULTS

The median age of the patients was 61.0 y (interquartile range = 51.0-70.0). Head and neck cancer was the prevailing diagnosis and 375 patients were at nutritional risk. According to the SGA, 173 (26.1%) patients were malnourished (SGA categories B or C) and the prevalence of malnutrition ranged from 3.9% to 30.0%, according to the GLIM combinations. None of the tested combinations reached adequate concurrent validity; however, the presence of malnutrition according to four combinations independently predicted surgical complications.

CONCLUSIONS

The predictive validity of the GLIM was satisfactory in surgical cancer patients.

ACERTO Project - 15 years changing perioperative care in Brazil

The ACERTO project is a multimodal perioperative care protocol. Implemented in 2005, the project in the last 15 years has disseminated the idea of a modern perioperative care protocol, based on evidence and with interdisciplinary team work. Dozens of published studies, using the protocol, have shown benefits such as reduced hospital stay, postoperative complications and hospital costs. Disseminated in Brazil, the project is supported by the Brazilian College of Surgeons and the Brazilian Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition, among others. This article compiles publications by the authors who belong to the CNPq research group "Acerto em Nutrição e Cirurgia", refers to the experience of other national authors in various surgical specialties, and finally outlines the evolution of the ACERTO project in the timeline.