Predictive Value of Prognostic Nutritional Index and Serum Albumin for Postoperative Infection Risk in Patients Undergoing Hepatectomy and Their Implications for Nursing Care

doi:10.12104/j.issn.1674-4748.2025.02.008

Abstract：Objective: To explore the predictive value of prognostic nutritional index and serum albumin for postoperative infection risk in patients undergoing hepatectomy and their implications for nursing care. Methods: A total of 110 patients who underwent hepatectomy at the Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Ganzhou People's Hospital, Jiangxi Province, from February 2020 to September 2023 were selected as the study subjects. Information on the patients was collected using a self-designed general information questionnaire. The number of patients with postoperative infections was statistically analyzed. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to screen the risk factors for postoperative infection in patients undergoing hepatectomy. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were drawn to analyze the predictive efficacy of the prognostic nutritional index and serum albumin for postoperative infection after hepatectomy, and their guiding significance for clinical nursing was explored. Results: The statistical results showed that 16 patients developed postoperative infections. Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that the risk factors for postoperative infection after hepatectomy included age ≥60 years, comorbid diabetes, intraoperative hypothermia, intraoperative blood loss >1000 mL, preoperative serum albumin levels, preoperative prognostic nutritional index, and drainage tube placement duration >7 days (P < 0.05). The area under the ROC curve for predicting postoperative infection after hepatectomy using the prognostic nutritional index was 0.731 [95% CI (0.651, 0.794)], with the optimal cutoff value of the preoperative prognostic nutritional index being 47.18, corresponding to a sensitivity of 0.902 and specificity of 0.749. The area under the ROC curve for predicting postoperative infection after hepatectomy using serum albumin was 0.817 [95% CI (0.747, 0.874)], with the optimal cutoff value of serum albumin being 32.08 g/L, corresponding to a sensitivity of 0.873 and specificity of 0.752. Conclusion: Patients undergoing hepatectomy are at risk of postoperative infection, and the risk factors are complex. The prognostic nutritional index and serum albumin have certain predictive value for postoperative infection risk after hepatectomy. Clinical practice should strengthen the monitoring and analysis of patients' prognostic nutritional index and serum albumin levels, and implement infection risk stratification management accordingly.