The researchers reviewed data on 12,373 patients from the National Surgery Quality Improvement Project. They found that 6,506 patients (52.6 percent) had normal albumin levels (albumin ≥3.5 g/dL), 3,205 (25.9 percent) patients were mildly malnourished (albumin 3.1–3.49 g/dL), 2,265 patients (18.3 percent) were moderately malnourished (albumin 2.4–3.1 g/dL), and 397 patients (3.2 percent) were severely malnourished (albumin <2.4 g/dL). The researchers found that severe malnutrition was associated with a two-fold increase in the odds of postoperative complications and mortality compared with mild malnutrition and increasing severity of malnutrition was associated with significantly longer lengths of stay and higher likelihood of related readmission. Learn more...
