Can the Blood Urea Nitrogen to Serum Albumin Ratio Predict a Prolonged Hospital Stay in Patients with Acute Cholecystitis?

Abstract

Aim: The gallbladder inflammation with or without stones is acute cholecystitis. The blood urea nitrogen to serum albumin ratio (BAR) is a biomarker of acute pulmonary embolism, pneumonia, critical illness, and prognostic mortality in geriatric patients. We evaluated the predictive ability of BAR for prolonged hospital stay in acute cholecystitis. Materials and Methods: This study was designed retrospectively and evaluated data collected at an emergency department from January 5, 2022, through April 5, 2022. A seven-day hospitalization period was determined as the limit for long-term hospitalization, with the patients staying in the hospital for eight days or longer being included in the prolonged hospital stay group. Results: The study was conducted over the data of 220 patients. The mean age (25th-75th percentile) was 59.0 (43.8-71.0) years, and 109 (50 %) patients were female. During the one-month follow-up, four (2 %) patients died. In total, 86 patients underwent surgery. The odds ratio was determined as 4.88 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.66-14.37, p=0.002] for BAR, 2.81 (95% CI: 1.36-5.78, p=0.004) for blood urea nitrogen, and 0.13 (95% CI: 0.04-0.38, p<0.001) for albumin. Conclusion: BAR calculated at the time of first presentation to the emergency department can predict prolonged hospital stay in patients with acute cholecystitis.