The relationship between Glasgow Prognostic Score and hospital duration in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases.

Background and objectives: Both hypoalbuminemia and inflammation were common in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), however, the combination of the two parameters on hospital duration re-mained unknown.

Methods and study design: This is a retrospective two-centre study performed in two tertiary hospitals in Shanghai, China. Serum levels of C-Reactive Protein (CRP) and albumin (ALB) were measured within 2 days of admission. Glasgow prognostic score (GPS), based on CRP and ALB, was calculated as follows: point "0" as CRP <10 mg/L and ALB ≥35 g/L; point "1" as either CRP ≥10 mg/L or ALB <35 g/L; point "2" as CRP ≥10 mg/L and ALB <35 g/L. Patients with point "0" were classified as low-risk while point "2" as high-risk. Length of hospital stay (LOS) was defined as the interval between admission and discharge.

Results: The proportion of low-risk and high-risk was 69.3% and 10.5% respectively among 3,009 patients (65% men). GPS was associated with LOS [β=6.2 d; 95% CI (confidence interval): 4.0 d, 8.4 d] after adjustment of potential co-variates. Each point of GPS was associated with 2.9 days (95% CI: 1.9 d, 3.9 d; ptrend<0.001) longer in fully adjusted model. The association was stronger in patients with low prealbumin levels, hypocalcaemia, and hypokalaemia relative to their counterparts.

Conclusions: GPS was associated with LOS in IBD patients. Our results highlighted that GPS could serve as a convenient prognostic tool associated with nutritional status and clinical outcome.