Low skeletal muscle mass predicts poor clinical outcomes in patients with abdominal trauma

Abstract Objective : To investigate whether low skeletal muscle mass is associated with clinical outcomes in patients with abdominal trauma. Research Methods & Procedures : Patients presenting to our institution with abdominal trauma from January 2010 to April 2020 were retrospectively included. Low skeletal muscle mass was defined, using computed tomography, as skeletal muscle index (SMI) at the third lumbar vertebra below the lowest sex-specific quartile within 1 week of admission. Clinical outcomes such as complications, hospital stay, and hospital cost were recorded, and univariate and multivariate analyses were performed. Results : Among 684 patients, 451 were eligible, 112 (24.8%) of whom were classified as having low skeletal muscle mass, based on SMI diagnostic cut-off values (42.08 cm2/m2 for men and 37.35 cm2/m2 for women). Low skeletal muscle mass was significantly associated with longer hospital stay, longer ICU stay, higher cost, higher frequency of mechanical ventilation, longer duration of vasopressor use, and higher incidence of massive transfusion and overall complications (P Conclusions : Low skeletal muscle mass could be an independent predictor of poor clinical outcomes in patients with abdominal trauma.