The Effects of Malnutrition on Inpatient Outcomes in Patients With Gastroparesis: A Nationwide Analysis

Introduction Gastroparesis (GP) is a chronic debilitating gastric motility disorder defined as delayed emptying of the stomach content without mechanical obstruction. It can result in nutritional deficiencies, leading to poor overall outcomes. We assessed the impact of malnutrition on in-hospital outcomes in patients with gastroparesis. Methods Patients with a primary discharge diagnosis of GP between January 2016 and December 2019 were included in the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database. Data on patient demographics, hospital characteristics, the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), and the etiology of gastroparesis were collected. The association between malnutrition and outcomes, including mortality, deep vein thrombosis (DVT), pulmonary embolism (PE), sepsis, acute kidney injury (AKI), length of stay (LOS), and total hospitalization charges (THC), were analyzed using the multivariate regression model. Results A total of 182,580 patients with gastroparesis were included in the analysis. Patients with gastroparesis and malnutrition had a higher risk of mortality (adjusted odds ratio {aOR}, 3.29; p<0.001), sepsis (aOR, 0.43; p<0.001), DVT (aOR, 2.34; p<0.001), and PE (aOR, 2.68; p<0.001) compared to patients with gastroparesis without malnutrition. No significant difference was noted in the rates of AKI. Patients with malnutrition also had a prolonged LOS (2.96 days; p<0.001) and higher THC ($22,890; p<0.001) compared to patients without malnutrition. Conclusion Gastroparesis patients with malnutrition are at a greater risk of worse outcomes than those without malnutrition. The early identification of malnutrition in gastroparesis patients can predict morbidity and mortality and assist in risk stratification to enhance outcomes. Further studies are encouraged to identify factors associated with malnutrition in gastroparesis and the impact of interventions to prevent and treat malnutrition.