Long-term outcome after percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy in geriatric Mexican patients

To evaluate long-term survival and prognostic factors in elderly Mexican patients who have undergone percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG).

The present study was a retrospective cohort analysis of 110 patients aged older than 70 years without head and neck malignancy who underwent PEG between January 2005 and December 2012. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated for demographic and clinical variables, and survival was determined by the Kaplan-Meier method.

Medium age and follow up were 82.45 ± 6.6 years and 688.3 ± 394.6 days, respectively. The patients who died in the early postoperative period (n = 6) were older than those who survived. The Karnofsky performance status and lymphocyte count were non-significantly lower in non-survivors. The body mass index and serum albumin level were lower in non-survivors (P = 0.03 and 0.01, respectively) and Charlson's Comorbidity Index (CCI) was higher. A total of 32 (29%) patients died later in the postoperative period with a mean follow up of 436.2 ± 267.4 days. Risk factors for mortality included Karnofsky Performance Status (odds ratio [OR] 9.76, 95% CI: 3.26-29.3), CCI (OR 7.04, 95% CI: 2.31-21.41) and postoperative hypoalbuminemia (OR 3.45, 95% CI: 1.71-6.67). Postgastrostomy pneumonia occurred in 36.8% of the patients who died during follow-up (OR 0.28, 95% CI: 0.6-1.26).

Karnofsky performance status, Charlson's comorbidity index and postoperative hypoalbuminemia, were independent risk factors for mortality. Modifiable factors are related to nutritional support. Early PEG may help prevent malnutrition and infection.