Table 1.
Patient characteristics
| Low risk (n=1212) |
Moderate risk (n=738) |
Severe risk (n=118) |
P value | |
| Age (years) | ||||
| Mean (SD) | 65 (16.9) | 70.3 (16.2) | 67 (16.7) | <0.001* |
| Sex | ||||
| Male | 546 (45.0) | 335 (45.4) | 56 (47.5) | 0.916 |
| Female | 666 (54.9) | 403 (54.6) | 62 (52.5) | |
| Missing | 1 (0.1) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | |
| Charlson Comorbidity Index | ||||
| Mean (SD) | 3 (5.8) | 4.2 (6.9) | 3.7 (6.7) | <0.001* |
| Admission albumin (g/dL) | ||||
| Mean (SD) | 43.9 (4.2) | 34.0 (3.0) | 23.8 (4.0) | <0.001* |
| Accommodation prior to admission | ||||
| Own home | 1200 (98.9) | 716 (97.0) | 112 (94.9) | 0.002 |
| Residential home | 2 (0.2) | 9 (1.2) | 1 (0.8) | |
| Nursing home | 10 (0.8) | 13 (1.8) | 5 (4.2) | |
| Missing | 1 (0.1) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | |
| Source of referral | ||||
| Emergency department | 860 (70.9) | 469 (63.6) | 70 (59.3) | <0.001 |
| General practice | 225 (18.5) | 154 (20.9) | 18 (15.3) | |
| Clinic admission | 18 (1.5) | 12 (1.6) | 4 (3.4) | |
| Referral from inpatient team | 110 (9.1) | 103 (14.0) | 26 (22.0) | |
| AKI on admission | ||||
| No | 974 (80.3) | 559 (75.7) | 81 (68.6) | 0.012 |
| Yes | 238 (19.6) | 179 (24.3) | 37 (31.4) | |
| Missing | 1 (0.1) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | |
| Admission white cell count (/L) | ||||
| <11.9×109 | 676 (55.7) | 427 (57.9) | 76 (64.4) | 0.165 |
| 12.0–15.9×109 | 336 (27.7) | 178 (24.1) | 23 (19.5) | |
| >16.0×109 | 201 (16.6) | 133 (18.0) | 19 (16.1) | |
| Radiology performed | ||||
| No imaging | 12 (1.0) | 12 (1.6) | 1 (0.8) | 0.295 |
| AXR only | 232 (19.1) | 118 (16.0) | 20 (16.9) | |
| CT only | 166 (13.7) | 108 (14.6) | 23 (19.5) | |
| CT and AXR | 803 (66.2) | 500 (67.8) | 74 (62.7) | |
| Final treatment group | ||||
| Non-operative | 604 (49.8) | 327 (44.3) | 60 (50.8) | 0.071 |
| Immediate operation | 339 (27.9) | 246 (33.3) | 37 (31.4) | |
| Delayed operation | 270 (22.3) | 165 (22.4) | 21 (17.8) | |
| Aetiology | ||||
| Adhesions | 673 (55.5) | 300 (40.7) | 43 (36.4) | <0.001 |
| Crohn’s disease | 51 (4.2) | 29 (3.9) | 7 (5.9) | |
| Hernia | 208 (17.1) | 135 (18.3) | 14 (11.9) | |
| Malignancy | 58 (4.8) | 80 (10.8) | 19 (16.1) | |
| Other | 147 (12.1) | 148 (20.1) | 30 (25.4) | |
| Missing | 76 (6.3) | 46 (6.2) | 5 (4.2) | |
| Operative approach | ||||
| Laparoscopic | 53 (4.4) | 30 (4.1) | 5 (4.2) | 0.186 |
| Laparoscopic converted to open | 43 (3.5) | 29 (3.9) | 0 (0.0) | |
| Open (groin) | 42 (3.5) | 39 (5.3) | 2 (1.7) | |
| Open (midline) | 434 (35.8) | 283 (38.3) | 45 (38.1) | |
| Open (other) | 34 (2.8) | 22 (3.0) | 3 (2.5) | |
| N/A | 607 (50.0) | 335 (45.4) | 63 (53.4) | |
| Small bowel resection | ||||
| No small bowel resection | 446 (36.8) | 292 (39.6) | 40 (33.9) | 0.225 |
| Small bowel resection | 158 (13.0) | 112 (15.2) | 16 (13.6) | |
| N/A | 609 (50.2) | 334 (45.3) | 62 (52.5) | |
Stratified by NRI categories across columns.
Values are N (%) unless otherwise specified.
Tests are Χ2, unless otherwise indicated by asterisk (*), where they are Kruskal-Wallis. Albumin not tested as this comprises part of NRI.
AKI, acute kidney injury; AXR, plain-film abdominal X-ray; N/A not applicable; NRI, Nutritional Risk Index.