Background and Goal of Study: POSSUM (Physiological and Operative Severity Score for the enumeration of Mortality and Morbidity) scale is a patient classification system used to predict mortality and risk-adjusted morbidity in a variety of surgical procedures. We studied the usefulness of this scale in the perioperative prognosis in abdominal surgery.

Materials and Methods: We get a sample of 47 consecutive patients undergoing major abdominal surgery and performed an observational study. Both scheduled (76.6%) and urgent (23.4%) procedures were included in the sample.

The calculation of the scale was carried out upon the arrival of the patients to the Resuscitation area after the surgery.

Data analysis was performed with the IBM SPSS Statistics. We carry out a comparison of the means through the T-student. The correlation was calculated with the Pearson or Spearmen correlation.

Results and Discussion: The mean age of the patients who underwent surgery was 71.8 years (SD: 12.83). The mean score of POSSUM in the sample was 35.87 (SD: 12.13). The mean of hospital stay was 9.65 days (SD: 6.72); in the Reanimation area was 1.74 days (SD: 3.34). 10.87% of all the sample need invasive ventilation.

A correlation was found between the increase in the score on the POSSUM scale and the prolongation of the hospital stay (p=0.006) and the stay in the Resuscitation area (p=0.026).

In addition, there is a clear correlation between the POSSUM score and the need for invasive ventilation, with a mean score of POSSUM of 34.13 (SD: 11.35) in those who did not receive invasive ventilation in the postoperative period, while it was 49.80 (SD: 9,52) in those who did require it (p=0.002).

On the other hand, there is a tendency to correlate the POSSUM score with mortality, although this does not become statistically significant (p=0.076). The mean score of POSSUM in those who died was 42.67 (SD: 10.21), while it was 32.60 (SD: 12.50), in those who did not.

Conclusion: It is observed that the POSSUM scale presents an important value as a predictive factor. Considering that, it is a scale which is calculated with data available to us in the common practice, we consider that it can be a useful tool when evaluating a patient. The routine calculation of this scale can allow us to adjust the management of patients, given its correlation with potential complications.

12 / Description of the utility of POSSUM in the perioperative prognosis in abdominal surgery