Predicted estimates of resting energy expenditure have limited clinical utility in patients with cirrhosis.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Malnutrition is associated with adverse clinical outcomes in patients with cirrhosis. Accurate assessment of energy requirements is needed to optimize dietary intake. Resting energy expenditure (REE), the major component of total energy expenditure, can be measured using indirect calorimetry (mREE) or estimated using prediction equations (pREE). This study assessed the usefulness of predicted estimates of REE in this patient population. METHODS: Individual mREE data were available for 900 patients with cirrhosis (mean [±1 SD] age 55.7±11.6 years-old; 70% men; 52% south-east Asian) and 282 healthy controls (mean age 36.0±12.8 years-old; 52% men; 18% south-east Asian). Metabolic status was classified using thresholds based on the mean ± 1 SD of the mREE in the healthy controls. Comparisons were made between mREE and pREE estimates obtained using the Harris-Benedict, Mifflin, Schofield and Henry equations. Stepwise regression was used to build 3 new prediction models which included sex, ethnicity, body composition measures, and model for end-stage liver disease scores. RESULTS: The mean mREE was significantly higher in patients than controls when referenced to dry body weight (22.4±3.8 cf. 20.8±2.6 kcal/kg/24 hr; p <0.001); there were no significant sex differences. The mean mREE was significantly higher in Caucasian than Asian patients (23.1±4.4 cf. 21.7±2.9 kcal/kg/24 hr; p <0.001). Overall, 37.1% of Caucasian and 25.3% of Asian patients were classified as hypermetabolic. The differences between mREE and pREE were both statistically and clinically relevant; in the total patient population, pREE estimates ranged from 501 kcal/24 hr less to 548 kcal/24 hr more than the mREE. Newly derived prediction equations provided better estimates of mREE but still had limited clinical utility. CONCLUSIONS: Prediction equations do not provide useful estimates of REE in patients with cirrhosis. REE should be directly measured. LAY SUMMARY: People with cirrhosis are often malnourished and this has a detrimental effect on outcome. Provision of an adequate diet is very important and is best achieved by measuring daily energy requirements and adjusting dietary intake accordingly. Prediction equations, which use information on age, sex, weight, and height can be used to estimate energy requirements; however, the results they provide are not accurate enough for clinical use, particularly as they vary according to sex and ethnicity.

Does obesity affect patient-reported outcomes following total knee arthroplasty?

BACKGROUND: There is an existing perception that obesity has a negative impact on complications following total knee arthroplasty (TKA). However, data on the impact of obesity levels on patient-reported outcomes (PROMs) is sparse. We investigated the association between different obesity classes with PROMs among patients who underwent TKA. METHODS: We performed retrospective secondary analyses on data extracted from the total joint replacement data repository (Alberta, Canada) managed by the Alberta Bone and Joint Health Institute (ABJHI). Patients had WOMAC and EQ5D scores measured at baseline in addition to 3 and/or 12 months following TKA. Patients were stratified according to the World Health Organization (WHO) classification, into five body mass index (BMI) groups of normal, overweight, BMI class I, BMI class II, and BMI class III. The association between BMI and mean changes in WOMAC subscales (pain, function, and stiffness) and EQ-5D-5L index over the time intervals of baseline to 3 months and 3 to 12 months following TKA was assessed. Linear mixed-effects models were used, and the models were adjusted for age, sex, length of surgery, comorbidities, year of surgery, and geographical zone where the surgery was performed. RESULTS: Mean age was 65.5 years (SD = 8.7). Postoperatively, there was a significant improvement (p < 0.001) in WOMAC subscales of patient-reported pain, function, and stiffness, as well as EQ-5D-5L regardless of BMI group. Although, patients in BMI class II and class III reported significantly improved pain 3 months after TKA compared to those with normal BMI, all BMI groups attained similar level of pain reduction at 12 months after TKA. The greatest improvement in all WOMAC subscales, as well as EQ5D index, occurred between baseline and 3 months (adjusted p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: The findings indicate that patients reported improved pain, function, and stiffness across all BMI groups following TKA. Patients with BMI classified as obese reported similar benefits to those with BMI classified as normal weight. These results may help health care providers to discuss expectations regarding the TKA recovery in terms of pain, function, and quality of life improvements with their TKA candidates.

Third-Variable Effects: Tools to Understand Who, When, Why, and How Patients Benefit From Surgical Prehabilitation.

Prehabilitation is a new field of research that aims to optimize modifiable surgical risk factors before surgery to improve patient-oriented outcomes preoperatively and postoperatively. As with any new intervention, the pressing questions that arise include what interventions work, for whom they work, and when do they work best? Given that prehabilitation can be resource intensive, and that preoperative patient characteristics are likely to produce variation in response to treatment, establishing answers to these questions is critical for successful implementation of prehabilitation in clinical practice. The objective of this review article is to describe the illuminating potential of including "third-variable effects" into the integration of research design; by planning for and including measurements of mediators, moderators, and confounders in the design and analysis of prehabilitation research, we can begin to answer practical, clinically relevant questions.

Maternal perceptions of cesarean birth care: A qualitative study to inform ERAS guideline development.

BACKGROUND: Cesarean birth (CB) is the most common inpatient surgical procedure, and until recently, there were no internationally accepted, standardized clinical guidelines available. The Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS® ) program aims to improve outcomes through the development of international guidelines (IGs). As an ERAS IG for CB was being developed, this qualitative study was conducted to explore and consolidate women's experiences with CB. METHODS: Qualitative methods were used to assess the patient experience with current evidence-based CB protocols across operative phases. Twelve women who experienced CB at a single center in Canada were interviewed using an open-ended, semi-structured interview guide at six weeks postpartum. Two researchers coded the emerging themes separately and compared findings. RESULTS: Women described feeling informed, but felt they did not have a choice. Presurgery, women wanted more information about the risks of CB. Preoperatively, women expressed confusion with the procedures, but felt informed about local anesthesia and thermoregulation. Post-CB, women felt informed about pain and nausea control; however, urinary catheter removal was delayed when compared to the ERAS recommendations. Information about postpartum infant care was not well communicated, as many women were uninformed about delayed cord clamping and infant thermoregulation. CONCLUSIONS: This qualitative study provides opportunities to improve communication, the patient-practitioner relationship, and the overall satisfaction throughout the CB process. The findings support the implementation of patient decision aids and training with the shared decision model. The improved procedures recommended in the ERAS IG for CB have the potential to deliver significant improvements to patient care and patient satisfaction.

Patients' perspectives of prehabilitation as an extension of Enhanced Recovery After Surgery protocols.

BACKGROUND: Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) and prehabilitation programs are evidence-based and patient-focused, yet meaningful patient input could further enhance these interventions to produce superior patient outcomes and patient experiences. We conducted a qualitative study with patients who had undergone colorectal surgery under ERAS care to determine how they prepared for surgery, their views on prehabilitation and how prehabilitation could be delivered to best meet patient needs. METHODS: We conducted semistructured interviews with adult patients who had undergone colorectal surgery under ERAS care within 3 months after surgery. Patients were enrolled between April 2018 and June 2019 through purposive sampling from 1 hospital in Alberta. The interview transcripts were analyzed independently by a researcher and a trained patient-researcher using inductive thematic analysis. RESULTS: Twenty patients were interviewed. Three main themes were identified. First, waiting for surgery: patients described fear, anxiety, isolation and deterioration of their mental and physical states as they waited passively for surgery. Second, preparing would have been better than just waiting: patients perceived that a prehabilitation program could prepare them for their operation if it addressed their emotional and physical needs, provided personalized support, offered home strategies, involved family and included surgical expectations (both what to expect and what is expected of them). Third, partnering with patients: preoperative preparation should occur on a continuum that meets patients where they are at and in a partnership that respects patients' expertise and desired level of engagement. CONCLUSION: We identified several patient priorities for the preoperative period. Integrating these priorities within ERAS and prehabilitative programs could improve patient satisfaction, experiences and outcomes. Actively engaging patients in their care might alleviate some of the anxiety and fear associated with waiting passively for surgery.

Canadian Hospital Food Service Practices to Prevent Malnutrition.

Purpose: The study aimed to determine current practice, barriers, and enablers of foodservices in Canadian hospitals relative to guiding principles for best practice to prevent malnutrition.Methods: Foodservice managers completed a 55-item cross-sectional, online survey (closed- and open-ended questions).Results: Survey responses (n = 286) were from diverse hospitals in all Canadian regions; 56% acute care; 13% had foodservices contracted out; and 60% had a reporting structure combined with clinical nutrition. Predominantly, foodservice systems were 43% in-house versus 41% pre-prepared, 46% cook-serve food production, 64% meals assembled centrally (on-site), and 40% non-selective menus with limited opportunities for patient choice in advance or at meals. The "regular menu" (44%) was most commonly served as 3 meals, no snacks at specific times. Energy and protein-dense menus were available, but not widespread (9%). Daily energy targets ranged from 1200 to 2400 kcal and 32% of respondents viewed protein targets as important. The number of therapeutic diets varied from 2 to 150.Conclusions: Although hospital foodservice practices vary across Canada, the survey results demonstrate gaps in national evidence-based practices and an opportunity to formalize guiding principles. This work highlights the need for standards to improve practice through patient-centered, foodservice practices focused on addressing malnutrition.

Systematic review with meta-analysis: Nutritional screening and assessment tools in cirrhosis.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Disease-related malnutrition is common in cirrhosis. Multiple studies have evaluated nutritional screening tools (NSTs, rapid bedside tests targeting who needs assessment) and nutritional assessment tools (NATs, used in diagnosing malnutrition) as predictors of clinical outcome in this population. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of this literature with the aim of summarising the varying definitions of malnutrition across studies, the available evidence for NSTs and the ability of NSTs and NATs to predict clinical outcomes in cirrhosis. METHODS: The primary outcome measures were pre- and post-transplant mortality with a range of secondary outcomes. Inclusion: cirrhosis over age 16. Exclusion: >25% with hepatocellular carcinoma, primarily laboratory test-based NATs or lack of screening, assessment or outcome criteria. RESULTS: Eight thousand eight hundred fifty patients were included across 47 studies. Only 3 studies assessed NSTs. Thirty-two definitions for malnutrition were utilised across studies. NATs predicted pre-transplant mortality in 69% of cases that were assessed with a risk ratio (RR) of 2.38 (95% CI 1.96-2.89). NATs were prognostic for post-transplant mortality only 28% of the times they were assessed, with a RR of 3.04 (95% CI 1.51-6.12). CONCLUSIONS: The cirrhosis literature includes limited data on nutrition screening and multiple definitions for what constitutes malnutrition using NATs. Despite this discordance, it is clear that malnutrition is a valuable predictor of pre-transplant mortality almost regardless of how it is defined. We require clinical and research consensus around the definition of malnutrition and the accepted processes and cut-points for nutrition screening and assessment in cirrhosis.

Moving enhanced recovery after surgery from implementation to sustainability across a health system: a qualitative assessment of leadership perspectives.

BACKGROUND: Knowledge Translation evidence from health care practitioners and administrators implementing Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) care has allowed for the spread and scale of the health care innovation. There is a need to identify at a health system level, what it takes from a leadership perspective to move from implementation to sustainability over time. The purpose of this research was to systematically synthesize feedback from health care leaders to inform further spread, scale and sustainability of ERAS care across a health system. METHODS: Alberta Health Services (AHS) is the largest Canadian health system with approximately 280,000 surgeries annually at more than 50 surgical sites. In 2013 to 2014, AHS used a structured approach to successfully implement ERAS colorectal guidelines at six sites. Between 2016 and 2018, three of the six sites expanded ERAS to other surgical areas (gynecologic oncology, hepatectomy, pancreatectomy/Whipple's, and cystectomy). This research was designed to explore and learn from the experiences of health care leaders involved in the AHS ERAS implementation expansion (eg. surgical care unit, hospital site or provincial program) and build on the model for knowledge mobilization develop during implementation. Following informed consent, leaders were interviewed using a structured interview guide. Data were recorded, coded and analyzed qualitatively through a combination of theory-driven immersion and crystallization, and template coding using NVivo 12. RESULTS: Forty-four individuals (13 physician leaders, 19 leading clinicians and hospital administrators, and 11 provincial leaders) were interviewed. Themes were identified related to Supportive Environments including resources, data, leadership; Champion and Nurse coordinator role; and Capacity Building through change management, education, and teams. The perception and role of leaders changed through initiation and implementation, spread, and sustainability. Barriers and enablers were thematically aligned relative to outcome assessment, consistency of implementation, ERAS care compliance, and the implementation of multiple guidelines. CONCLUSIONS: Health care leaders have unique perspectives and approaches to support spread, scale and sustainability of ERAS that are different from site based ERAS teams. These findings inform us what leaders need to do or need to do differently to support implementation and to foster spread, scale and sustainability of ERAS.

The cirrhosis care Alberta (CCAB) protocol: implementing an evidence-based best practice order set for the management of liver cirrhosis - a hybrid type I effectiveness-implementation trial.

BACKGROUND: Liver cirrhosis is a leading cause of morbidity, premature mortality and acute care utilization in patients with digestive disease. In the province of Alberta, hospital readmission rates for patients with cirrhosis are estimated at 44% at 90 days. For hospitalized patients, multiple care gaps exist, the most notable stemming from i) the lack of a structured approach to best practice care for cirrhosis complications, ii) the lack of a structured approach to broader health needs and iii) suboptimal preparation for transition of care into the community. Cirrhosis Care Alberta (CCAB) is a 4-year multi-component pragmatic trial which aims to address these gaps. The proposed intervention is initiated at the time of hospitalization through implementation of a clinical information system embedded electronic order set for delivering evidence-based best practices under real-world conditions. The overarching objective of the CCAB trial is to demonstrate effectiveness and implementation feasibility for use of the order set in routine patient care within eight hospital sites in Alberta. METHODS: A mixed methods hybrid type I effectiveness-implementation design will be used to evaluate the effectiveness of the order set intervention. The primary outcome is a reduction in 90-day cumulative length of stay. Implementation outcomes such as reach, adoption, fidelity and maintenance will also be evaluated alongside other patient and service outcomes such as readmission rates, quality of care and cost-effectiveness. This theory-based trial will be guided by Normalization Process Theory, Consolidated Framework on Implementation Research (CFIR) and the Reach-Effectiveness-Adoption-Implementation-Maintenance (RE-AIM) Framework. DISCUSSION: The CCAB project is unique in its breadth, both in the comprehensiveness of the multi-component order set and also for the breadth of its roll-out. Lessons learned will ultimately inform the feasibility and effectiveness of this approach in "real-world" conditions as well as adoption and adaptation of these best practices within the rest of Alberta, other provinces in Canada, and beyond. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT04149223, November 4, 2019.

Return on investment of the Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) multiguideline, multisite implementation in Alberta, Canada.

Background: Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) is a global surgical qualityimprovement initiative. Little is known about the economic effects of implementing multiple ERAS guidelines in both the short and long term. Methods: We performed a return on investment (ROI) analysis of the implementation of multiple ERAS guidelines (for colorectal, pancreas, cystectomy, liver and gynecologic oncology procedures) across multiple sites (9 hospitals) in Alberta using 30-, 180- and 365-day time horizons. The effects of ERAS on health services utilization (length of stay of the primary admission, number of readmissions, length of stay of the readmissions, number of emergency department visits, number of outpatient clinic visits, number of specialist visits and number of general practitioner visits) were assessed by mixed-effect multilevel multivariate negative binomial regressions. Net benefits and ROI were estimated by a decision analytic modelling analysis. All costs were reported in 2019 Canadian dollars. Results: The net health system savings per patient ranged from $26.35 to $3606.44 and ROI ranged from 1.05 to 7.31, meaning that every dollar invested in ERAS brought $1.05 to $7.31 in return. Probabilities for ERAS to be cost-saving were from 86.5% to 99.9%. The effects of ERAS were found to be larger in the longer time horizons, indicating that if only the 30-day time horizon had been used, the benefits of ERAS would have been underestimated. Conclusion: These results demonstrated that ERAS multiguideline implementation was cost-saving in Alberta. To produce a better ROI, it is important to consider a broad range of health service utilizations, long-term impact, economies of scale, productive efficiency and allocative efficiency for sustainability, scale and spread of ERAS implementations.

Contexte: L'initiative de récupération améliorée après la chirurgie (RAAC) est un projet international d'amélioration de la qualité en chirurgie. On en sait peu sur les retombées économiques, tant à court qu'à long terme, de la mise en œuvre de multiples lignes directrices de RAAC. Méthodes: Nous avons réalisé une analyse du rendement sur l'investissement (RSI) visant la mise en œuvre de multiples lignes directrices de RAAC (pour les opérations colorectales, pancréatiques, hépatiques ou d'oncologie gynécologique et la cystectomie) dans 9 hôpitaux albertains sur un horizon temporel de 30, 180 et 365 jours. L'incidence de la RAAC sur l'utilisation des services de santé (durée du séjour à l'hospitalisation initiale, nombre de réadmissions, durée du séjour à la réhospitalisation et nombre de visites à l'urgence, en consultation externe, chez un spécialiste et chez un omnipraticien) a été évaluée à l'aide d'un modèle multiniveau de régressions binomiales négatives à effets mixtes multivariés. Les bénéfices nets et le RSI ont été estimés à l'aide d'un processus de modélisation analytique décisionnelle. Tous les coûts ont été rapportés en dollars canadiens de 2019. Résultats: Les économies nettes du système de santé allaient de 26,35 $ à 3606,44 $ par patient, et le RSI variait de 1,05 à 7,31; chaque dollar investi dans l'initiative de RAAC a donc généré un retour sur l'investissement de 1,05 $ à 7,31 $. Les probabilités d'économie grâce au RAAC allaient de 86,5% à 99,9%. Les retombées générées augmentaient avec un horizon temporel à plus long terme, ce qui suggère que l'utilisation unique d'un horizon temporel de 30 jours aurait mené à une sousestimation des bénéfices. Conclusion: Les résultats montrent que la mise en œuvre de multiples lignes directrices de RAAC a permis des économies en Alberta. En vue d'obtenir un RSI optimal, il est important de tenir compte d'une grande variété d'utilisations des services de santé, des retombées à long terme, des économies d'échelle, de l'efficacité productive et de l'efficience des allocations pour la pérennité, la mise à l'échelle et la diffusion des projets de mise en œuvre de RAAC.

Development of a clinical pathway for enhanced recovery in colorectal surgery: a Canadian collaboration

Summary: Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) is a model of care that was introduced in the late 1990s by a group of surgeons in Europe. The model consists of a number of evidence-based principles that support better outcomes for surgical patients, including improved patient experience, reduced length of stay in hospital, decreased complication rates and fewer hospital readmissions. A number of Canadian surgical care teams have already adopted ERAS principles and have reported positive outcomes. Arising from the Canadian Patient Safety Institute's Integrated Patient Safety Action Plan for Surgical Care Safety, and with support from numerous partner organizations from across the country, Enhanced Recovery Canada is leading the drive to improve surgical safety across the country and help disseminate these ERAS principles. We discuss the development of a multidisciplinary clinical pathway for elective colorectal surgery to help guide Canadian clinicians.

Effects of Nutritional Prehabilitation, With and Without Exercise, on Outcomes of Patients Who Undergo Colorectal Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Although there have been meta-analyses of the effects of exercise-only prehabilitation on patients undergoing colorectal surgery, little is known about the effects of nutrition-only (oral nutritional supplements with and without counseling) and multimodal (oral nutritional supplements with and without counseling and with exercise) prehabilitation on clinical outcomes and patient function after surgery. We performed a systemic review and meta-analysis to determine the individual and combined effects of nutrition-only and multimodal prehabilitation compared with no prehabilitation (control) on outcomes of patients undergoing colorectal resection. METHODS: We searched Medline, EMBASE, CINAHL, CENTRAL, and ProQuest for cohort and randomized controlled studies of adults awaiting colorectal surgery who received at least 7 days of nutrition prehabilitation with or without exercise. We performed a random-effects meta-analysis to estimate the pooled risk ratio for categorical data and the weighted mean difference for continuous variables. The primary outcome was length of hospital stay; the secondary outcome was recovery of functional capacity based on results of a 6-minute walk test. RESULTS: We identified 9 studies (5 randomized controlled studies and 4 cohort studies) composed of 914 patients undergoing colorectal surgery (438 received prehabilitation and 476 served as controls). Receipt of any prehabilitation significantly decreased days spent in the hospital compared with controls (weighted mean difference of length of hospital stay = -2.2 days; 95% confidence interval = -3.5 to -0.9). Only 3 studies reported on functional outcomes but could not be pooled owing to methodologic heterogeneity. In the individual studies, multimodal prehabilitation significantly improved results of the 6-minute walk test at 4 and 8 weeks after surgery compared with standard Enhanced Recovery Pathway care and at 8 weeks compared with standard Enhanced Recovery Pathway care with added rehabilitation. The 4 observational studies had a high risk of bias. CONCLUSIONS: In a systematic review and meta-analysis, we found that nutritional prehabilitation alone or combined with an exercise program significantly decreased length of hospital stay by 2 days in patients undergoing colorectal surgery. There is some evidence that multimodal prehabilitation accelerated the return to presurgical functional capacity.

Guidelines for postoperative care in cesarean delivery: Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) Society recommendations (part 3).

BACKGROUND: This Enhanced Recovery After Surgery Guideline for postoperative care in cesarean delivery will provide best practice, evidenced-based recommendations for postoperative care with primarily a maternal focus. OBJECTIVE: The pathway process for scheduled and unscheduled cesarean delivery for this Enhanced Recovery After Surgery cesarean delivery guideline will consider time from completion of cesarean delivery until maternal hospital discharge. STUDY DESIGN: The literature search (1966-2017) used Embase and PubMed to search medical subject headings that included "Cesarean Section," "Cesarean Delivery," "Cesarean Section Delivery," and all postoperative Enhanced Recovery After Surgery items. Study selection allowed titles and abstracts to be screened by individual reviewers to identify potentially relevant articles. Metaanalyses, systematic reviews, randomized controlled studies, nonrandomized controlled studies, reviews, and case series were considered for each individual topic. Quality assessment and data analyses evaluated the quality of evidence, and recommendations were evaluated according to the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation system as used and described in previous Enhanced Recovery After Surgery Guidelines. RESULTS: The Enhanced Recovery After Surgery cesarean delivery guideline/pathway has created a pathway for postoperative care. Specifics include sham feeding, nausea and vomiting prevention, postoperative analgesia, nutritional care, glucose control, thromboembolism prophylaxis, early mobilization, urinary drainage, and discharge counseling. A number of elements of postoperative care of women who undergo cesarean delivery are recommended, based on the evidence. CONCLUSION: As the Enhanced Recovery After Surgery cesarean delivery pathway (elements/processes) are studied, implemented, audited, evaluated, and optimized by the maternity care teams, there will be an opportunity for focused and optimized areas of care and recommendations to be further enhanced.

International validation of Enhanced Recovery After Surgery Society guidelines on enhanced recovery for gynecologic surgery.

BACKGROUND: Enhanced Recovery After Surgery Society publishes guidelines on perioperative care, but these guidelines should be validated prospectively. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association between compliance with Enhanced Recovery After Surgery Gynecologic/Oncology guideline elements and postoperative outcomes in an international cohort. STUDY DESIGN: The study comprised 2101 patients undergoing elective gynecologic/oncology surgery between January 2011 and November 2017 in 10 hospitals across Canada, the United States, and Europe. Patient demographics, surgical/anesthesia details, and Enhanced Recovery After Surgery protocol compliance elements (pre-, intra-, and postoperative phases) were entered into the Enhanced Recovery After Surgery Interactive Audit System. Surgical complexity was stratified according to the Aletti scoring system (low vs medium/high). The following covariates were accounted for in the analysis: age, body mass index, smoking status, presence of diabetes, American Society of Anesthesiologists class, International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage, preoperative chemotherapy, radiotherapy, operating time, surgical approach (open vs minimally invasive), intraoperative blood loss, hospital, and Enhanced Recovery After Surgery implementation status. The primary end points were primary hospital length of stay and complications. Negative binomial regression was used to model length of stay, and logistic regression to model complications, as a function of compliance score and covariates. RESULTS: Patient demographics included a median age 56 years, 35.5% obese, 15% smokers, and 26.7% American Society of Anesthesiologists Class III-IV. Final diagnosis was malignant in 49% of patients. Laparotomy was used in 75.9% of cases, and the remainder minimally invasive surgery. The majority of cases (86%) were of low complexity (Aletti score ≤3). In patients with ovarian cancer, 69.5% had a medium/high complexity surgery (Aletti score 4-11). Median length of stay was 2 days in the low- and 5 days in the medium/high-complexity group. Every unit increase in Enhanced Recovery After Surgery guideline score was associated with 8% (IRR, 0.92; 95% confidence interval, 0.90-0.95; P<.001) decrease in days in hospital among low-complexity, and 12% (IRR, 0.88; 95% confidence interval, 0.82-0.93; P<.001) decrease among patients with medium/high-complexity scores. For every unit increase in Enhanced Recovery After Surgery guideline score, the odds of total complications were estimated to be 12% lower (P<.05) among low-complexity patients. CONCLUSION: Audit of surgical practices demonstrates that improved compliance with Enhanced Recovery After Surgery Gynecologic/Oncology guidelines is associated with an improvement in clinical outcomes, including length of stay, highlighting the importance of Enhanced Recovery After Surgery implementation.

Assessment of Computed Tomography (CT)-Defined Muscle and Adipose Tissue Features in Relation to Short-Term Outcomes After Elective Surgery for Colorectal Cancer: A Multicenter Approach.

BACKGROUND: Sarcopenia, visceral obesity (VO), and reduced muscle radiodensity (myosteatosis) are suggested risk factors for postoperative morbidity in colorectal cancer (CRC), but usually are not concurrently assessed. Published thresholds used to define these features are not CRC-specific and are defined in relation to mortality, not postoperative outcomes. This study aimed to evaluate body composition in relation to length of hospital stay (LOS) and postoperative outcomes. METHODS: Pre-surgical computed tomography (CT) images were assessed for total area and radiodensity of skeletal muscle and visceral adipose tissue in a pooled Canadian and UK cohort (n = 2100). Sex- and age-specific values for these features were calculated. For 1139 of 2100 patients, LOS data were available, and sex- and age-specific thresholds for sarcopenia, myosteatosis, and VO were defined on the basis of LOS. Association of CT-defined features with LOS and readmissions was explored using negative binomial and logistic regression models, respectively. RESULTS: In the multivariable analysis, the predictors of LOS (P < 0.001) were age, surgical approach, major complications (incidence rate ratio [IRR] 2.42; 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.18-2.68), study cohort, and three body composition profiles characterized by myosteatosis combined with either sarcopenia (IRR, 1.27; 95% CI 1.12-1.43) or VO (IRR, 1.25; 95% CI 1.10-1.42), and myosteatosis combined with both sarcopenia and VO (IRR, 1.58; 95% CI 1.29-1.93). In the multivariable analysis, risk of readmission was associated with VO alone (odds ratio [OR] 2.66; 95% CI 1.18-6.00); P = 0.018), VO combined with myosteatosis (OR, 2.72; 95% CI 1.36-5.46; P = 0.005), or VO combined with myosteatosis and sarcopenia (OR, 2.98; 95% CI 1.06-5.46; P = 0.038). Importantly, the effect of body composition profiles on LOS and readmission was independent of major complications. CONCLUSION: The findings showed that CT-defined multidimensional body habitus is independently associated with LOS and hospital readmission.

Guidelines for intraoperative care in cesarean delivery: Enhanced Recovery After Surgery Society Recommendations (Part 2).

The Enhanced Recovery After Surgery Society guideline for intraoperative care in cesarean delivery will provide best practice, evidenced-based, recommendations for intraoperative care, with primarily a maternal focus. The "focused" pathway process for scheduled and unscheduled cesarean delivery for this Enhanced Recovery After Surgery cesarean delivery guideline will consider procedure from the decision to operate (starting with the 30-60 minutes before skin incision) through the surgery. The literature search (1966-2017) used Embase and PubMed to search medical subject headings including "cesarean section," "cesarean section," "cesarean section delivery," and all pre- and intraoperative Enhanced Recovery After Surgery items. Study selection allowed titles and abstracts to be screened by individual reviewers to identify potentially relevant articles. Metaanalyses, systematic reviews, randomized controlled studies, nonrandomized controlled studies, reviews, and case series were considered for each individual topic. Quality assessment and data analyses evaluated the quality of evidence and recommendations were evaluated according to the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation system as used and described in previous Enhanced Recovery After Surgery Society guidelines. The Enhanced Recovery After Surgery cesarean delivery guideline/pathway has created a maternal focused pathway (for scheduled and unscheduled surgery starting from 30-60 minutes before skin incision to maternal discharge) with Enhanced Recovery After Surgery-directed preoperative elements, intraoperative elements, and postoperative elements. Specifics of the intraoperative care included the use of prophylactic antibiotics before the cesarean delivery, appropriate patient warming intraoperatively, blunt expansion of the transverse uterine hysterotomy, skin closure with subcuticular sutures, and delayed cord clamping. A number of specific elements of intraoperative care of women who undergo cesarean delivery are recommended based on the evidence. The Enhanced Recovery After Surgery Society guideline for intraoperative care in cesarean delivery will provide best practice, evidenced-based, recommendations for intraoperative care with primarily a maternal focus. When the cesarean delivery pathway (elements/processes) is studied, implemented, audited, evaluated, and optimized by maternity care teams, this will create an opportunity for the focused and optimized areas of care and recommendations to be further enhanced.

Guidelines for Antenatal and Preoperative care in Cesarean Delivery: Enhanced Recovery After Surgery Society Recommendations (Part 1).

This Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) Guideline for perioperative care in cesarean delivery will provide best practice, evidenced-based, recommendations for preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative phases with, primarily, a maternal focus. The focused pathway process for scheduled and unscheduled cesarean delivery for this ERAS Cesarean Delivery Guideline will consider from the time from decision to operate (starting with the 30-60 minutes before skin incision) to hospital discharge. The literature search (1966-2017) used Embase and PubMed to search medical subject headings that included "Cesarean Section," "Cesarean Section," "Cesarean Section Delivery" and all pre- and intraoperative ERAS items. Study selection allowed titles and abstracts to be screened by individual reviewers to identify potentially relevant articles. Metaanalyses, systematic reviews, randomized controlled studies, nonrandomized controlled studies, reviews, and case series were considered for each individual topic. Quality assessment and data analyses that evaluated the quality of evidence and recommendations were evaluated according to the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation system, as used and described in previous ERAS Guidelines. The ERAS Cesarean Delivery Guideline/Pathway has created a maternal focused pathway (for scheduled and unscheduled surgery starting from 30-60 minutes before skin incision to maternal discharge) with ERAS cesarean delivery consensus recommendations preoperative elements (anesthetic medications, fasting, carbohydrate supplementation, prophylactic antibiotics/skin preparation, ), intraoperative elements (anesthetic management, maternal hypothermia prevention, surgical technique, hysterotomy creation and closure, management of peritoneum, subcutaneous space, and skin closure), perioperative fluid management, and postoperative elements (chewing gum, management of nausea and vomiting, analgesia, timing of food intake, glucose management, antithrombotic prophylaxis, timing of ambulation, urinary management, and timing of maternal and neonate discharge). Limited topics for optimized care and for antenatal education and counselling and the immediate neonatal needs at delivery are discussed. Strong recommendations for element use were given for preoperative (antenatal education and counselling, use of antacids and histamine, H2 receptor antagonists, 2-hour fasting and small meal within 6 hours surgery, antimicrobial prophylaxis and skin preparation/chlorhexidine-alcohol), intraoperative (regional anesthesia, prevention of maternal hypothermia [forced warm air, warmed intravenous fluids, room temperature]), perioperative (fluid management for euvolemia and neonatal immediate care needs that include delayed cord clamping), and postoperative (fluid management to prevent nausea and vomiting, antiemetic use, analgesia with nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs/paracetamol, regular diet within 2 hours, tight capillary glucose control, pneumatic compression stocking for venous thromboembolism prophylaxis, immediate removal of urinary catheter). Recommendations against the element use were made for preoperative (maternal sedation, bowel preparation), intraoperative (neonatal oral suctioning or increased inspired oxygen), and postoperative (heparin should not be used routinely venous thromboembolism prophylaxis). Because these ERAS cesarean delivery pathway recommendations (elements/processes) are studied, implemented, audited, evaluated, and optimized by the maternity care teams, this will create an opportunity for the focused and optimized areas of care research with further enhanced care and recommendation.

The Impact of the Implementation of the Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS®) Program in an Entire Health System: A Natural Experiment in Alberta, Canada.

BACKGROUND: The Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) program has been shown to reduce length of stay (LOS) in colorectal surgical patients in randomized trials. The impact outside of trial settings, or in subgroups of patients excluded from trials such as individuals with diabetes, is uncertain. We conducted this study to evaluate the impact of ERAS implementation in Alberta, Canada. METHODS: This is a retrospective cohort study and interrupted time series analysis using linked administrative data to examine LOS and postoperative outcomes in the 12 months pre- and post-implementation of ERAS in 2013 for all adults undergoing elective colorectal surgery. RESULTS: Of 2714 patients (mean age 60.4 years, 55% men) with similar demographics and comorbidity profiles in the pre/post-ERAS time periods, LOS was significantly shorter post-ERAS (8.5 vs. 9.5 days, p = 0.01; - 0.84 days [95% CI - 0.04 to - 1.64 days] after adjustment for age, sex, Charlson comorbidity score, procedure type, surgical approach, and hospital). However, interrupted time series demonstrated no significant level change (p = 0.30) or change in slope (p = 0.63) with ERAS implementation, consistent with continuation of an underlying secular trend of reductions in LOS over time. There were no significant differences (in multivariate analysis or ITS) in risk of 30-day death/readmission (14.3% post vs. 13.5% pre-ERAS, aOR 1.12, 95% CI 0.89-1.40), 30-day death/ED visit (27.2% post vs. 30.0% pre, aOR 0.93, 95% CI 0.78-1.10), or 30-day death/readmission/ED visit (27.8% post vs. 30.6% pre, aOR 0.93, 95% CI 0.78-1.10). The 428 patients with diabetes had longer LOS but exhibited no significant difference post- versus pre-ERAS (10.7 vs. 11.6 days, p = 0.53; p = 0.56 for level change and p = 0.66 for slope change on ITS). CONCLUSION: Although there was a secular trend toward decreasing LOS over time in Alberta, ERAS implementation was not associated with statistically significant changes in LOS or postoperative outcomes for all colorectal surgery patients or for those with diabetes. Our study highlights the importance of evaluating system changes (for both uptake and outcomes) rather than assuming trial benefits will translate directly into practice. Interventions to improve LOS and postoperative outcomes for patients with diabetes undergoing colorectal surgery are still needed even in the ERAS era.

A randomized trial of supplemental parenteral nutrition in underweight and overweight critically ill patients: the TOP-UP pilot trial.

BACKGROUND: Nutrition guidelines recommendations differ on the use of parenteral nutrition (PN), and existing clinical trial data are inconclusive. Our recent observational data show that amounts of energy/protein received early in the intensive care unit (ICU) affect patient mortality, particularly for inadequate nutrition intake in patients with body mass indices (BMIs) of <25 or >35. Thus, we hypothesized increased nutrition delivery via supplemental PN (SPN) + enteral nutrition (EN) to underweight and obese ICU patients would improve 60-day survival and quality of life (QoL) versus usual care (EN alone). METHODS: In this multicenter, randomized, controlled pilot trial completed in 11 centers across four countries, adult ICU patients with acute respiratory failure expected to require mechanical ventilation for >72 hours and with a BMI of <25 or ≥35 were randomized to receive EN alone or SPN + EN to reach 100% of their prescribed nutrition goal for 7 days after randomization. The primary aim of this pilot trial was to achieve a 30% improvement in nutrition delivery. RESULTS: In total, 125 patients were enrolled. Over the first 7 post-randomization ICU days, patients in the SPN + EN arm had a 26% increase in delivered calories and protein, whereas patients in the EN-alone arm had a 22% increase (both p < 0.001). Surgical ICU patients received poorer EN nutrition delivery and had a significantly greater increase in calorie and protein delivery when receiving SPN versus medical ICU patients. SPN proved feasible to deliver with our prescribed protocol. In this pilot trial, no significant outcome differences were observed between groups, including no difference in infection risk. Potential, although statistically insignificant, trends of reduced hospital mortality and improved discharge functional outcomes and QoL outcomes in the SPN + EN group versus the EN-alone group were observed. CONCLUSIONS: Provision of SPN + EN significantly increased calorie/protein delivery over the first week of ICU residence versus EN alone. This was achieved with no increased infection risk. Given feasibility and consistent encouraging trends in hospital mortality, QoL, and functional endpoints, a full-scale trial of SPN powered to assess these clinical outcome endpoints in high-nutritional-risk ICU patients is indicated-potentially focusing on the more poorly EN-fed surgical ICU setting. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT01206166.

Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS®) in Individuals with Diabetes: A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: Prevalence of diabetes in surgical patients is 10-40%. It is well recognized that they have higher rates of complications, and longer stays in hospital compared to patients without diabetes. Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) is an evidence-based multimodal surgical care pathway that improves postoperative complications and length of stay in patients without diabetes. This review evaluates the evidence on whether individuals with diabetes would benefit from ERAS implementation. METHODS: MEDLINE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) and EMBASE searched with no language restrictions applied. Conference proceedings and bibliographies were reviewed. Experts in the field were contacted, and www.clinicaltrials.gov searched for ongoing trials. SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomized controlled trials (RCT) looking at individuals with diabetes undergoing surgery randomized to ERAS® or conventional care. Non-randomized controlled trials, controlled before-after studies, interrupted time series, and cohort studies with concurrent controls were also considered. Two authors independently screened studies. RESULTS: The electronic search yielded 437 references. After removing duplicates, 376 were screened for eligibility. Conference proceedings and bibliographies identified additional references. Searching www.clinicaltrials.gov yielded 59 references. Contacting experts in the field identified no further studies. Fourteen full articles were assessed and subsequently excluded for the following reasons: used an intervention other than ERAS®, did not include patients with diabetes, or used an uncontrolled observational design. CONCLUSIONS: To date, the effects of ERAS® on patients with diabetes have not been rigorously evaluated. This review highlights the lack of evidence in this area and provides guidance on design for future studies.