Evaluation of Nutritional Parameters in Gynecologic Patients Undergoing Laparotomic Surgery

Kim, Bok Ja; Kim, Young Tae; Kim, Sung Hoon; Kim, Jae Wook; Park, Joo Hyun; Park, Ki Hyun

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
The serum prealbumin has relatively short half-life among the nutritional parameters and therefore could be used to detect immediate postoperative change of nutritional state in surgical patients. This study was proposed to evaluate the validity of delta prealbumin in prediction and detection of high risk patients through the analysis of the correlation between delta prealbumin and postoperative complication.
METHODS
AND MATERIALS: One hundred sixteen patients were retrospectively studied. The serum albumin, TLC, prealbumin were compared between the complicated (N=30) and controlled group (N=86). The correlation between delta prealbumin and postoperative complication, underlying disease, malignancy and operative procedures were statistically analyzed by Student's t-test.
RESULTS
There were no significant differences in serum albumin, TLC, prealbumin between the complicted and controlled group but there was a significant difference in delta prealbumin (98.5+/-50.9 vs 75.2+/-37.3 mg/dL, p=0.03). The associations were found between delta prealbumin and underlying disease, malignancy and operative procedures. However, it was not statistically significant.
CONCLUSION
This study demonstrates that the surgical patients with high risk of postoperative complications can be detected early in immediate postoperative period by nutritional assessment as well as in preoperative period and can be supported enterally or parenterally. The evaluation of delta prealbumin will contribute to the decrease of postoperative morbidity and mortality.