Sep 13, 2025
1:00 PM2:00 PM
Poster Session
P109 - PREDICTING INFECTION RISK ON A GASTROENTEROLOGY WARD: A PROSPECTIVE ANALYSIS OF BMI, NRS, AND SARC-F SCORES
P109
PREDICTING INFECTION RISK ON A GASTROENTEROLOGY WARD: A PROSPECTIVE ANALYSIS OF BMI, NRS, AND SARC-F SCORES
D. Micetic1,2, T. Tusek2, I. Sisul2, M. Ostojic2, G. Poropat1,2,*
1Clinical Hospital Center Rijeka, 2Faculty of Medicine, Rijeka, Croatia
Rationale: Infectious complications are a major burden for hospitalized patients. This study aimed to assess the association between nutritional status (measured by BMI, NRS, and SARC-F scores) and the occurrence of infectious complications in gastroenterology patients.
Methods: A 6-week prospective observational study was conducted on a gastroenterology ward. Upon admission, data on age, sex, primary diagnosis, BMI, NRS and SARC-F scores, and calf circumference were collected. Patients were monitored daily for infectious complications, confirmed clinically and microbiologically when possible. The relationship between nutritional status and infection development was analyzed using SPSS Statistics.
Results: A total of 45 patients were included in the analysis, with 7 (15.6%) developing infectious complications, including sepsis (3), cholangitis (1), urinary infection (1), and COVID-19 (1), during their hospital stay. Baseline characteristics showed no significant differences between patients with and without infections in terms of height (172.3 ± 17.4 cm vs. 173.3 ± 11.3 cm, p>0.05), weight (79.6 ± 24.8 kg vs. 74.6 ± 16.5 kg, p>0.05), or BMI (26.5 ± 6.4 kg/m² vs. 24.9 ± 4.8 kg/m², p>0.05). Patients who developed infections had numerically higher NRS scores (3.00 ± 1.83 vs. 2.47 ± 1.94, p=0.48) and higher SARC-F scores (5.14 ± 2.85 vs. 2.66 ± 1.94, p=0.10). Calf circumference was numerically lower in the infection group (33.0 ± 5.9 cm vs. 34.5 ± 4.0 cm, p=0.49).
Conclusion: While no significant differences were found in height, weight, or BMI, patients with infections had higher NRS and SARC-F scores and lower calf circumference. These trends suggest a potential link between nutritional status and infection risk, requiring further investigation.
Disclosure of Interest: None declared