Abstract
Background The prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) or malnutrition in hospitalised patients
depends on the clinical domain, but is much higher than in the normal population.
In trauma surgery, this increase is frequently associated with more postoperative
complications and constantly rising costs. In addition, the quality of life of this
target group is decreased, but there are only limited data from departments of traumatology
and/or orthopaedics. Therefore, we aim to analyse the factors influencing the postoperative
complication rate as well as the quality of life of orthopaedic and trauma patients.
Methods Within this prospective trial in the period of 06/2014 to 02/2017, we analysed data
of 1643 patients from traumatology – geriatric and septic traumatology – as well as
endoprosthetics with regard to the clinical outcome, the complication rate and the
quality of life (Short Form Health Survey 36, SF-36) associated with diabetes mellitus
(DM) and the nutritional status (Nutritional Risk Screening 2002, NRS).
Results Within our hospitalised group of trauma patients, the prevalence of diabetes mellitus
was 12.4% and the risk for malnutrition (NRS ≥ 3) was 18.3%, which is much higher
than in the normal population (DM 7.2%). Patients suffering from diabetes mellitus
had significantly more complications than patients without diabetes mellitus. Similar
results were found when comparing patients with a risk of malnutrition to the patients
without. Furthermore, patients with DM evaluate their subjective quality of life lower
than do patients without DM in the most domains of the SF-36, especially in the subjective-physical
domains, while patients with NRS ≥ 3 assess their quality of life as being lower than
do patients without a risk of malnutrition in all domains of the SF-36 (physical and
mental). Additionally, we showed that reduced nutritional status has a greater influence
on the decline in quality of life than did diabetes mellitus.
Conclusion Both diabetes mellitus and malnutrition seems to influence the subjective quality
of life and the complication rate of hospitalised trauma patients. A nationwide data
collection and targeted interventions within the frame of interdisciplinary cooperation
are necessary. In this way, the postoperative complication rate as well as associated
higher treatment costs could be reduced.
Key words diabetes mellitus - malnutrition - complication rate - quality of life - trauma surgery