Table 3.
Outcomes by nutritional state
| Low risk (n=1213) | Moderate risk (n=738) | Severe risk (n=118) | P value | |
| In-hospital mortality | ||||
| No | 1164 (96.0) | 668 (90.5) | 98 (83.1) | <0.001 |
| Yes | 46 (3.8) | 69 (9.3) | 19 (16.1) | |
| Missing | 3 (0.2) | 1 (0.1) | 1 (0.8) | |
| Time with no enteral intake | ||||
| <5 days | 705 (58.1) | 379 (51.4) | 45 (38.1) | <0.001 |
| >5 days | 439 (36.2) | 308 (41.7) | 60 (50.8) | |
| Missing | 69 (5.7) | 51 (6.9) | 13 (11.0) | |
| Time to resumption of enteral intake | ||||
| Mean (SD) | 7.2 (14.5) | 7.8 (9.9) | 8 (7.4) | <0.001 |
| Urinary tract infection | ||||
| No | 1150 (94.8) | 691 (93.6) | 108 (91.5) | 0.181 |
| Yes—not urinary catheter associated | 40 (3.3) | 29 (3.9) | 4 (3.4) | |
| Yes—urinary catheter associated | 20 (1.6) | 14 (1.9) | 6 (5.1) | |
| Missing | 3 (0.2) | 4 (0.5) | 0 (0.0) | |
| Lower respiratory tract infection | ||||
| No | 1095 (90.3) | 625 (84.7) | 94 (79.7) | <0.001 |
| Yes | 115 (9.5) | 112 (15.2) | 24 (20.3) | |
| Missing | 3 (0.2) | 1 (0.1) | 0 (0.0) | |
| Deep surgical site infection | ||||
| No | 1174 (96.8) | 710 (96.2) | 111 (94.1) | 0.508 |
| Yes | 37 (3.1) | 26 (3.5) | 7 (5.9) | |
| Missing | 2 (0.2) | 2 (0.3) | 0 (0.0) | |
| Superficial surgical site infection | ||||
| No | 1138 (93.8) | 690 (93.5) | 107 (90.7) | 0.645 |
| Yes | 73 (6.0) | 46 (6.2) | 11 (9.3) | |
| Missing | 2 (0.2) | 2 (0.3) | 0 (0.0) | |
| Abdominal wall dehiscence | ||||
| No | 1190 (98.1) | 723 (98.0) | 114 (96.6) | 0.577 |
| Yes | 18 (1.5) | 12 (1.6) | 4 (3.4) | |
| Missing | 5 (0.4) | 3 (0.4) | 0 (0.0) | |
| Anastomotic leak | ||||
| No | 1204 (99.3) | 726 (98.4) | 116 (98.3) | 0.330 |
| Yes | 7 (0.6) | 9 (1.2) | 2 (1.7) | |
| Missing | 2 (0.2) | 3 (0.4) | 0 (0.0) | |
| Radiologically guided drainage | ||||
| No | 1196 (98.6) | 725 (98.2) | 111 (94.1) | 0.002 |
| Yes | 14 (1.2) | 10 (1.4) | 7 (5.9) | |
| Missing | 3 (0.2) | 3 (0.4) | 0 (0.0) | |
| Venous thromboembolism (PE or DVT) | ||||
| No | 1200 (98.9) | 724 (98.1) | 113 (95.8) | 0.016 |
| Yes | 9 (0.7) | 11 (1.5) | 5 (4.2) | |
| Missing | 4 (0.3) | 3 (0.4) | 0 (0.0) | |
| Delirium | ||||
| No | 1172 (96.6) | 690 (93.5) | 102 (86.4) | <0.001 |
| Yes | 38 (3.1) | 46 (6.2) | 16 (13.6) | |
| Missing | 3 (0.2) | 2 (0.3) | 0 (0.0) | |
| Cardiovascular event (MI, new heart block, stroke, TIA) | ||||
| No | 1146 (94.5) | 679 (92.0) | 108 (91.5) | 0.168 |
| Yes | 64 (5.3) | 55 (7.5) | 10 (8.5) | |
| Missing | 3 (0.2) | 4 (0.5) | 0 (0.0) | |
| Reoperation | ||||
| No | 582 (48.0) | 380 (51.5) | 52 (44.1) | 0.027 |
| Yes | 25 (2.1) | 27 (3.7) | 6 (5.1) | |
| Missing | 606 (50.0) | 331 (44.9) | 60 (50.8) | |
| Unplanned HDU/ICU admission | ||||
| No | 1111 (91.6) | 644 (87.3) | 94 (79.7) | <0.001 |
| Yes— intensive care unit | 50 (4.1) | 53 (7.2) | 17 (14.4) | |
| Yes—high dependency care | 44 (3.6) | 36 (4.9) | 7 (5.9) | |
| Missing | 8 (0.7) | 5 (0.7) | 0 (0.0) | |
| Readmission within 30 days | ||||
| No | 1029 (84.8) | 599 (81.2) | 90 (76.3) | 0.010 |
| Yes | 164 (13.5) | 112 (15.2) | 23 (19.5) | |
| Missing | 20 (1.6) | 27 (3.7) | 5 (4.2) | |
| Length of stay (days) | ||||
| Mean (SD) | 10 (12.4) | 13.3 (13.6) | 17.8 (14.4) | <0.001 |
Stratified by Nutritional Risk Index categories across columns.
Values are N (%) unless otherwise specified. Tests are Χ2, unless otherwise indicated by asterisk (*), where they are Kruskal-Wallis.
DVT, deep vein thrombosis; HDU, high dependency unit (level 2); ICU, intensive care unit/intensive therapy unit (level 2/3); MI, myocardial infarction; PE, pulmonary embolism; TIA, transient ischaemic attack.