Effectiveness of Intensive Perioperative Nutrition Therapy Among Adults Undergoing Gastrointestinal And Oncological Surgery In Public Hospital: Study Protocol For A Pragmatic Randomised Control Trial.

Abstract

Background: Perioperative malnutrition is common in patients undergoing gastrointestinal-oncology surgical and associated with longer hospital stays, increased post-operative complications, poorer quality of life and lower survival rate. Current practice emphasises the roles of early perioperative nutrition therapy as early intervention in order to combat the post-operative complications of patients and the implementation is now widely adopted. The aim of the study is to determine the effects of intensive perioperative nutrition therapy to overcome the post-operative complications in adult patients undergoing gastrointestinal and oncological surgery. Methods: This is a pragmatic randomised control trial study where elective admitted patients will be randomised into Intervention (SS) or Control (NN) Group. All data will be collected during a face to face interview, anthropometric measurement, blood sampling (albumin, white blood count, haemoglobin and c-reactive protein), handgrip strength and post-operative complications. Group SS will be receiving a tailored lifestyle and intensively supplemented with oral nutrition support as compared with Group NN that receive standard medical care. The primary outcomes are length of stay in hospital, bowel function and solid food toleration. Additional outcome measures are changes in biochemical profile, nutritional and functional status. The effects of intervention between groups towards outcome parameters will be analyse by using the SPSS General Linear Model (GLM) for repeated measure procedure.Discussion: The intervention implemented in this study will serve as a baseline data in providing an appropriate nutritional management in patients undergoing gastrointestinal and oncological surgery. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Protocol Registration and Results System (PRS), NCT04347772. Registered 20 November 2019, https://www.clinicaltrials.gov