Sarcopaenia is a Useful Risk Stratification Tool for Surgeons to Prognosticate Splenic Abscess Patients

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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Sarcopaenia is associated with poor prognoses of in-hospital mortality in splenic abscess patients. Investigators recommend its use by surgeons in the ED to rapidly risk stratify and identify patients requiring urgent and aggressive intervention, to maximise patient outcomes and survival chances.

Detailed Description
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Splenic abscess is a life-threatening surgical emergency which requires early diagnosis and intervention to maximise patient outcomes. This can be achieved through accurate risk stratification in the emergency department (ED). Sarcopaenia refers to an age-related loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength with major physiologic and clinical ramifications. This study evaluates sarcopaenia as a radiological risk stratification tool to predict in-hospital mortality of splenic abscess patients. 99 adult patients at four training and research hospitals who had undergone abdominal contrast CT scans in the ED with the final diagnosis of splenic abscess from January 2005 to December 2015 were recruited. Evaluation for sarcopaenia was performed via calculating psoas cross-sectional area at level of L3 and normalising for height. Univariate analyses were used to evaluate the differences between survivors and non-survivors, with subsequent logistic regression analysis to assess odds ratio of sarcopaenia with respect to in-hospital mortality. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was plotted to determine predictability of sarcopaenia, with its corresponding sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy rate calculated.

Official Title
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Sarcopaenia is a Useful Risk Stratification Tool for Surgeons to Prognosticate Splenic Abscess Patients- A Retrospective Case Control Study

Conditions
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Splenic Abscess, Sarcopenia

Intervention / Treatment
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* Diagnostic Test: radiological defined sarcopenia


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: All adult patients older than 20 years of age admitted to the aforementioned hospitals who had undergone an abdominal contrast CT scan in the ED with the final diagnosis of splenic abscess from January 2005 to December 2015 Exclusion Criteria: Patients who could not be assessed for sarcopaenia in line with our study methodology and/or had other coexisting infections were excluded. Patients with abscesses involving the psoas muscles were also excluded.

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 20 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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No

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Sarcopenic patients<br> | Diagnostic Test: radiological defined sarcopenia<br>* Evaluation for sarcopaenia was performed via calculating psoas cross-sectional area at level of L3 and normalising for height<br>|
| Non-sarcopenic patients<br> | Diagnostic Test: radiological defined sarcopenia<br>* Evaluation for sarcopaenia was performed via calculating psoas cross-sectional area at level of L3 and normalising for height<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Mortality | In-hospital mortality during hospitalization | Up to 12 weeks | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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splenic abscess, sarcopenia, surgical emergency