In a study published in the Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery, researchers found patients who were malnourished prior to total shoulder arthroplasty experienced a significantly increased risk for blood transfusion, longer hospital stay and death within 30 days of surgery.
Researchers identified 4,655 patients who underwent TSA between 2005 and 2013. Patients with a concentration of less than 3.5 g/dL were considered malnourished.
Here are three points:
1. Results showed an overall prevalence of preoperative malnutrition in 7.6 percent of patients.
2. Compared with controls, researchers found a significantly increased proportion of normal-weight patients and patients classified as class III obese who were malnourished.
3. Malnourished patients experienced higher risks for blood transfusion, development of postoperative pulmonary complications, death and extended length of stay versus controls.