• Juho Nurkkala, Sanna Lahtinen, Aura Ylimartimo, Timo Kaakinen, Merja Vakkala, Marjo Koskela, and Janne Liisanantti.
• Medical Research Centre and Research Group of Surgery, Anesthesia and Intensive Care, Department of Anesthesiology, University of Oulu, Oulu University Hospital, P.O. Box 21, 90029, Oulu, Finland. juho.nurkkala@student.oulu.fi.
• Eur J Trauma Emerg Surg. 2022 Feb 1; 48 (1): 113-120.

PurposeAdequate nutrition after major abdominal surgery is associated with less postoperative complications and shorter hospital length of stay (LOS) after elective procedures, but there is a lack of studies focusing on the adequacy of nutrition after emergency laparotomies (EL). The aim of the present study was to investigate nutrition adequacy after EL in surgical ward.MethodsThe data from 405 adult patients who had undergone emergency laparotomy in Oulu University Hospital (OUH) between years 2015 and 2017 were analyzed retrospectively. Nutrition delivery and complications during first 10 days after the operation were evaluated.ResultsThere was a total of 218 (53.8%) patients who were able to reach cumulative 80% nutrition adequacy during the first 10 postoperative days. Patients with adequate nutrition (> 80% of calculated calories) met the nutritional goals by the second postoperative day, whereas patients with low nutrition delivery (< 80% of calculated calories) increased their caloric intake during the first 5 postoperative days without reaching the 80% level. In multivariate analysis, postoperative ileus [4.31 (2.15-8.62), P < 0.001], loss of appetite [3.59 (2.18-5.93), P < 0.001] and higher individual energy demand [1.004 (1.003-1.006), P = 0.001] were associated with not reaching the 80% nutrition adequacy.ConclusionsInadequate nutrition delivery is common during the immediate postoperative period after EL. Oral nutrition is the most efficient way to commence nutrition in this patient group in surgical ward. Nutritional support should be closely monitored for those patients unable to eat.Trial Registration NumberNot applicable.© 2021. The Author(s).

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