PD014 - PREOPERATIVE MALNUTRITION ASSESSED BY GLIM BUT NOT PG-SGA PREDICTS PROLONGED HOSPITAL STAY FOLLOWING GASTROINTESTINAL SURGERY

PD014

PREOPERATIVE MALNUTRITION ASSESSED BY GLIM BUT NOT PG-SGA PREDICTS PROLONGED HOSPITAL STAY FOLLOWING GASTROINTESTINAL SURGERY

L. Uyanege^1,*, N. S. Kalupahana², S. Tennakoon³, H. Wijayatilake⁴

¹Post Graduate Institute of Medicine, Colombo, ²Physiology, ³Community medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, ⁴Community medicine, Post Graduate Institute of Medicine, Colombo, Sri Lanka

Rationale: Preoperative malnutrition may delay postoperative recovery and prolong hospital stay. This study compared GLIM and PG-SGA in predicting postoperative ward length of stay (LOS).

Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted among 86 patients undergoing major gastrointestinal surgery at National Hospital Kandy. Nutritional status was assessed preoperatively using GLIM and PG-SGA. Patients were categorized as well-nourished or malnourished.

Postoperative ward LOS was recorded (mean 10.6 ± 3.87 days; median 10 days). LOS was analyzed as both a continuous variable and categorized into early vs delayed discharge. Associations between nutritional status and LOS were assessed using chi-square tests (p<0.05 significant).

Results: Malnutrition prevalence was 73.3% by GLIM and 77.9% by PG-SGA.

GLIM-defined malnourished patients had significantly prolonged LOS compared to well-nourished patients, with median LOS exceeding 10 days and some stays extending up to 27 days (χ² = 27.484, p = 0.011).

Although PG-SGA–defined malnourished patients showed a trend toward longer LOS, this was not statistically significant (χ² = 15.610, p = 0.271), with overlapping LOS distributions between groups.

Table: Ward Length of Stay by Nutritional Status

Conclusion: GLIM-defined malnutrition was significantly associated with prolonged postoperative hospital stay, whereas PG-SGA was not predictive. GLIM may be a more effective tool for identifying patients at risk of delayed recovery following gastrointestinal surgery.

Disclosure of Interest: L. Uyanege Grant / Research Support from: 1, N. Kalupahana: None declared, S. Tennakoon: None declared, H. Wijayatilake: None declared