PrognostiCheck®

Phase Angle as a Prognostic Factor for Post-Operative Complications

Bioelectric Impedance Analysis (BIA), and its parameter, phase angle, have been described as a prognostic tool in several clinical situations, but they have never been studied in surgical population

Here is an abstract from the study conducted by M.Barbosa-Silva, A.Barros to assess the importance of nutritional variables and parameters from BIA as predictors of post-operative complications in a multi variable regression model.

The nutritional status of 225 adult patients scheduled to undergo gastrointestinal surgery was assessed by several methods, including bioelectric impedance analysis and subjective global assessment. Potential confounding factors were also studied. Patients were screened for post-operative complications until hospital discharge.

Weight loss greater than 10%, subjective global assessment, nutritional risk assessment, ECM/BCM ratio and phase angle (from BIA) were the prognostic factors significantly associated with post-operative complications in the crude analysis. After adjusting for sex, age, marital status, tumors and pre-operative infections, only phase angle remained as a prognostic factor (RR=4.3; CI95% 1.6–11.8 for phase angle <−0.8 sd), while the other nutritional variables lost their association with post-operative complications.

From the study it was concluded that Phase angle remains an important prognostic factor for postoperative complications, even after adjusting for other individual predictors and confounders.

PrognostiCheck® device measures Phase Angle and the values derived from Phase Angle are associated with improvement, disease progression and treatment efficacy and the timing of non-acute death.

Tags: Bioelectrical impedance Analysis, phase angle values, post-operative complications