Introduction.

Gastric cancer is the fifth most frequently diagnosed cancer and the third cause of cancer death in the world. In surgical treatment, current evidence supports preoperative measures and prognostic index to improve survival. The prognostic nutritional index, which unites the values of circulating lymphocytes in peripheral blood with those of serum albumin, has presented characteristics of being a nutritional and immunological marker with predictive value on complications and mortality. The objective of this study was to determine the relationship between the prognostic nutritional index with complications and mortality in patients with gastric cancer undergoing gastrectomy.

Methods.

A descriptive, cross-sectional, observational study with an analytical component was carried out by a retrospective review of medical records.

Results.

A total of 113 patients who underwent total or subtotal gastrectomy were analyzed. An association was found between mortality and the prognostic nutritional index and mortality; all patients who died had an index ≤ 46. An inverse association was also found between the value of the index and the presentation of postoperative complications, such as sepsis, peritonitis, anastomotic leak, and bleeding.

Discussion.

Similar to our analysis, several studies suggest that a low prognostic nutritional index could have a predictive value on the frequency of complications and overall survival in patients with gastric cancer undergoing surgery.

Conclusion.

The prognostic nutritional index is associated with mortality and postoperative complications in patients undergoing gastrectomy for gastric cancer.

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