Food insecurity in surgical trauma patients correlates with significantly higher complication rates (41.4% vs. 12.5%) and longer hospital stays (median of 13 days vs. 5 days). Among 848 patients, 21% reported food insecurity prior to surgery, with those becoming food insecure postoperatively also facing greater risks of complications at three months. These findings underscore the critical need for routine screening and targeted interventions to address food access issues, thereby improving surgical outcomes.
Journal Article by Ehsan AN, Jones A (…) Ranganathan K et 12 al. in JAMA Surg