A new study published in Spine examines how malnutrition can affect outcomes for posterior lumbar spinal fusion.
The study authors examined the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program data for posterior lumbar spinal fusion patients. The patients underwent one to three level fusions and the researchers compared those with hypoalbuminemia to those without.
There were 4,310 patients included in the study with a hypoalbuminemia prevalence of 4.8 percent. The researchers found:
1. The patients with hypoalbuminemia reported a higher wound dehiscence occurrence when compared with the patients who didn't have hypoalbuminemia.
2. The hypoalbuminemia also had higher risk for surgical site infection — 4.5 percent, compared with 1.7 percent of the non-hypoalbuminemia group.
3. There was a higher risk for unplanned hospital readmissions for the hypoalbuminemia group; 11.7 percent of the hypoalbuminemia patients reported readmission within 30 days of the initial surgery, compared to 5.4 percent of the non-hypoalbuminemia patients.
4. Urinary tract infection was more common among the hypoalbuminemia patients, at 5.4 percent, compared with 1.5 percent among the patients who didn't have hypoalbuminemia.
5. The patients with hypoalbuminemia reported longer hospital stays — 5.2 days, compared with 3.7 days for the non-hypoalbuminemia patients.
The study authors suggested further studies evaluate ways to correct malnutrition before surgery, as "such efforts have the potential to meaningfully decrease the rates of adverse events following this procedure."