P1038 - POWERFUL PREDICTIVE VALUE OF SNAQ FOR POSTOPERATIVE WEIGHT LOSS UP TO 90 DAYS AFTER EMERGENCY ABDOMINAL SURGERY

P1038

POWERFUL PREDICTIVE VALUE OF SNAQ FOR POSTOPERATIVE WEIGHT LOSS UP TO 90 DAYS AFTER EMERGENCY ABDOMINAL SURGERY

C. Balle Bech^1,*, J. Brander Hansen¹, J. Bech Knoblauch¹, D. Kokotovic Gellert-Kristensen¹, J. Burcharth¹

¹EMERGE, Herlev Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark

Rationale: Malnutrition and unplanned weight loss are risk factors for increased mortality and complications after surgery. Stress response after major surgery negatively affects appetite and increases the risk of weight after discharge. The aim of this study was to investigate the predictive value of SNAQ in relation to unplanned weight loss up to 90 days after emergency abdominal surgery.

Methods: This retrospective observational study included patients after emergency abdominal surgery. Before discharge, malnutrition risk was assessed by SNAQ. At postoperative day 30 (POD30) and 90 (POD90), the patients were followed up by telephone to investigate unplanned weight loss. Continuous associations between SNAQ score and weight loss were assessed using Pearson correlation and linear regression.

Results: In total, 135 patients were screened before discharge, and 83% had a SNAQ score ≤14. At POD30, 54 patients were available for follow-up; of these, 42.6% experienced unplanned weight loss >5%. A significant inverse correlation was found between the SNAQ score at POD30 and percentage weight loss (r= -0.63, p=0.008). Similarly, at POD90 (n=49), 47% had >5% weight loss, with a significant correlation between SNAQ score and weight loss (r= -0.49, p=0.025). Patients with SNAQ ≤14 had a significantly greater mean weight loss compared to those with SNAQ >14 at POD30 (6.9%vs.2.1%, p=0.026). Stratified analysis showed a dose-response relationship with a higher proportion of patients experiencing >5% weight loss in lower SNAQ-score groups. Notably, 100% of patients with >5% weight loss had a SNAQ ≤14, resulting in perfect separation.

Conclusion: At discharge, most patients after emergency abdominal surgery were at risk of malnutrition, and over 40% experienced unplanned weight loss. Lower SNAQ scores were significantly associated with greater weight loss, and all patients with >5% weight loss had a SNAQ score ≤14.

Disclosure of Interest: None declared