Correlations between preoperative malnutrition and septic complications of esophageal cancer surgery
Saito, T.; Zeze, K.; Kuwahara, A.; Miyahara, M.; Kobayashi, M.
Nutrition 6(4): 303-308
1990
ISSN/ISBN: 0899-9007 PMID: 2134546 Document Number: 357531
8 measures were used to assess the nutritional state of 80 patients with oesophageal cancer, 58 with gastric cancer, and 50 healthy controls. Postoperative complications were divided into 3 categories: septic, anastomotic leakage, and non-septic. Protein-energy malnutrition of 80 oesophageal cancer patients were characterized by a greater depletion of arm muscle circumference (AMC) and body weight than in 58 gastric cancer patients. Average AMC, body weight, triceps skinfold (TSF), and levels of retinol-binding protein on admission were lower in patients who suffered fatal septic complications than in those who did not. The reduction of AMC, body weight and retinol-binding protein was observed even after preoperative total parenteral nutrition. It is concluded that malnourished patients should be given parenteral feeding on admission, and if nutritional recovery is poor, other perioperative treatment should be given.