Assessing undernutrition of trauma patients with complex soft tissue defects treated at viet duc university hospital using prealbumin serum levels

Purpose: Nutrition is playing an important role in mitigating trauma wounds, especially complex wounds. Undernutrition could cause a delay in the wound healing process and prolonged hospital stay. Thus we have conducted the study aiming to evaluate the nutritional status of trauma patients with complex soft tissue defects for the further recommendation of wound care improvement. Materials and Methodology: A prospective study of patients with complex traumatic wounds who have been treated at the Department of Septic Surgery and Wound care of Viet Duc University Hospital from 2/2020 to 2/2021. Subjects enrolled in this study include both genders, over 18 years old, with trauma wounds, are evaluated the undernutrition by pre albumin serum levels. The data was processed by software SPSS.20.0. Results: A total of 70 patients were diagnosed the complex traumatic wounds, of them, 57 males accounted for 81.4%; 13 females accounting for 18.6%; mean age was 37.1 ± 2.3. The main cause of injuries was road traffic accidents, accounting for 78 %, and occupational accidents accounting for 22%. 21.4% of patients were reported to have soft tissue wounds only, the remaining 78.6% were with complex lesions including tendon and bone damaged. Co-morbidities accounted for 20% (Mellitus diabetes), 15.7% (heart diseases). No one in serious status of undernutrition (pre albumin serum <5.0 mg/dL), however, 5.0 to 10.9 mg/dL accounted for 28.6%, and 15.0 to 35.0 mg/dL accounted for 71.4% respectively. Healing time <1 week was 8.6%, from 1-3 weeks in 72.9%, and more than 3 weeks in 18.5%. Complications with serious necrosis requiring more debridements accounted for 8.6%. Conclusions and Recommendations: Results from the study show that nutritional evaluation is useful in complex traumatic wounds treatment. Careful and daily check of wounds, evaluation of healing progress as well as the patient nutritional status can make the appropriate treatments which might help to improve the healing progress.