Challenging the Surgical Axiom: Albumin Level Does Not Reliably Predict Development of Wound Complications in Patients Undergoing Body Contouring

Can Preoperative Laboratory Values Predict Short-term Postoperative Complications and Health Utilization in Patients Undergoing Cranioplasty?

BACKGROUND

Low hematocrit, low albumin, and high creatinine levels have been associated with postoperative morbidity. The present study intends to analyze the effects of preoperative laboratories on medical complications and postoperative health resource utilization in patients undergoing cranioplasty.

METHODS

Using data from the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program, demographic, clinical, and intraoperative characteristics were collected for each patient who had recorded albumin, hematocrit, or creatinine laboratory values within 90 days of the index cranioplasty. Outcomes analyzed were ≥1 medical complication, ≥1 wound complication, unplanned reoperation, 30-day readmission, and extended hospital stay (>30 d). Outcomes significant on bivariate analyses were evaluated using multivariate logistic regression. Significant outcomes on multivariate analyses were analyzed using receiver operating characteristic curves and Mann-Whitney U tests.

RESULTS

The 3 separate cohorts included 1349 patients with albumin, 2201 patients with hematocrit, and 2182 patients with creatinine levels. Upon multivariate analysis, increases in albumin and hematocrit were independently associated with decreased odds of medical complications and extended length of stay. Increases in creatinine were independently associated with increased odds of medical complications. Discriminative cutoff values were identified for albumin and hematocrit.

CONCLUSIONS

Preoperative laboratory values were independent predictors of medical complications and health utilization following cranioplasty in this study. Surgical teams can use these findings to optimize preoperative risk stratification.

Patient Smoking Status and Postoperative Outcomes: An Integrative Literature Review of Studies Using the ACS NSQIP Data Set

Tobacco use is associated with poor surgical outcomes and is the leading cause of preventable morbidity and mortality in the United States. Because of the risk for postoperative complications, researchers continue to examine the association between surgical patients' smoking status and adverse outcomes. This quantitative integrative review synthesizes evidence on the relationship between smoking status and postoperative outcomes according to information in the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program data set. The included studies involved 10 procedures and the evaluated outcomes comprise surgical complications (eg, surgical site infection), medical complications (eg, sepsis), and transitions in care (eg, discharge destination). The review results are mixed and are not generalizable because only two studies specified smoking status as a primary variable of interest. To develop policies for perioperative patient smoking cessation, perioperative nurses require additional research results on the relationships between smoking status and standardized variables.