Factores Asociados con Mortalidad Temprana en Pacientes Críticamente Enfermos con Intestino Corto

Abstract

Mortality is high in adults with short gut. Malnutrition, residual gut length and the underlying disease can contribute to it. Furthermore, in the critically ill surgical patient, timely therapeutic intervention and the type of nutritional support can influence outcomes.

Between 2010 and 2014, 40 critically ill adult patients with short gut diagnosis were studied and analyzed to stablish which factors were associated to mortality.

Mortality was 65%, associated factors were: short residual gut length and older age (p<0.05), patients who did not die were 42.1 +/- 12.7 years compared to 67 +/- 17.3 years for those who died. Relative  risk analysis revealed that achieving enteral access reduced 4.72 time the risk of death.

Mortality found in our study is too high. Factors associated to death were residual length of gut and age; however we should also consider the critical state of patients. The greater risk of death due to enteral access should warn us about the need for
early enteral nutrition.

We conclude that in critically ill adult patients with short gut, mortality is associated to older age, shorter residual gut length and enteral access.