Abstract
We conducted a retrospective review of the data of 165 patients over 80 years of age who had undergone emergency abdominal surgery at our institute between April 2003 and March 2009. There were 76 men and 89 women, ranging in age from 80 to 97 years (average, 84 years). Of all the patients, 148 (89%) had concomitant medical disease. A total of 106 patients (64%) had morbidity, and these patients had a lower Glasgow coma scale score and systolic blood pressure, a higher heart rate and a more prolonged prothrombin time than the patients without morbidity. Of all, 44 patients (26%) died, and these patients had a lower Glasgow coma scale score, systolic blood pressure and serum albumin, a higher heart rate, serum potassium, serum urea nitrogen and serum creatinine than the survivors. Furthermore, the POSSUM scores (PS and OS) were higher among the survivors than among the non-survivors, and also higher in the patients with morbidity than in those without morbidity. POSSUM is a good tool for predicting the morbidity and mortality and can be useful in determining the need for emergency abdominal surgery in patients over 80 years of age.
