Patient selection: based on the usual clientele for a VA hospital, with 98.5% were men
Complications commonly encountered:
(1) prolonged ileus
(2) urinary tract infection
(3) pneumonia
(4) deep surgical site infection
Patients with complications were more likely to die post-operatively.
Presurgical parameters associated with short-term mortality:
(1) serum BUN
(2) serum albumin
(3) aPTT in seconds
(4) sensorium
|
Parameter
|
Findings
|
Points
|
|
aPTT
|
< 25 seconds
|
0
|
|
|
>= 25 seconds
|
1
|
|
sensorium
|
normal
|
0
|
|
|
impaired
|
1
|
where:
• A person with impaired sensorium had mental status changes or delirium associated with the current illness. These patients were acutely confused or delirious and responded to verbal or mild tactile stimulus. Patients with more serious changes in sensorium may have been excluded.
• The serum albumin was defaulted to 4.3 g/dL if unknown.
X =
= (0.0530 * (preoperative BUN in mg/dL)) + (2.0953 * (points for sensorium)) - (1.0577 * (serum albumin in g/dL)) - (1.0761 * (points for aPTT)) + 0.2776
probability of 30 day mortality =
= 1 / (1 + EXP((-1) * X))
Limitations:
• The methods and normal reference ranges for the laboratory tests were not specified.
