Frailty is Associated With Poor Outcomes Following Emergency Laparotomy: What’s Next?

Background and objective The Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) is a rapid assessment tool to identify vulnerable and frail patients. We sought to evaluate the association between preoperative CFS scores and outcomes following emergency laparotomy in a dense, rural, and healthcare-deprived region of the UK inhabited by a multi-comorbid population. Methods We retrospectively reviewed regional National Emergency Laparotomy Audit (NELA) data across United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS trust to identify all patients aged 65 years and above who underwent emergency laparotomy between December 2018 and March 2021. We also conducted a comprehensive multi-database literature search of Medline, Embase, and Cochrane to synthesise contemporaneous topical evidence. Results A total of 191 patients were assessed using the CFS before they underwent emergency laparotomy. Among 90 (47.1%) individuals categorised as vulnerable or frail (CFS score ≥4), there was no significant difference in age, gender, or length of stay related to the procedure compared with fit patients. However, vulnerable and frail patients were significantly more likely to die (84.8% vs. 39.2%, p<0.0001). Regression analysis identified a vulnerable or frail score to be a significant predictor of 30-day all-cause mortality (OR: 9.327; 95% CI: 3.101-28.054; p<0.0001). A total of six relevant papers were identified in the literature, all indicating a significant association between mortality as well as prolonged length and stay with clinical vulnerability and frailty. Conclusions The CFS is a practical and effective tool for assessing preoperative vulnerability and frailty among patients undergoing emergency laparotomy and can be used to predict mortality and morbidity after surgery.