OBJECTIVES: Short bowel syndrome (SBS) is one of the most common causes of intestinal failure, usually secondary to extensive bowel resection and traditionally associated with high patient complexity and high mortality rates. However, with proper management, including nutritional support and close monitoring, the outcomes of SBS patients can be improved. This study aims to understand the impact of SBS in adult patients in Portuguese NHS hospitals and to identify potential sub-diagnosis in order to promote better disease awareness and treatment in a cost-effective way.

METHODS: A retrospective study from 2017-2019 was conducted using production data from 100% of the Portuguese NHS hospitals (55 hospitals). From an initial group of 287 adult patients diagnosed with postsurgical malabsorption, 54 potential SBS patients were selected according to their ICD-10 diagnosis and procedures. The 54 patients were analysed in terms of their demographic characteristics, underlying procedures and clinical outcomes.

RESULTS: Out of the 54 patients, 67% were male and 74% were over 60 years old. On average, each patient had 4 hospital episodes, the majority (84%) inpatient, and 85% of them were admitted by the emergency departments. The average length of stay was 28 days and 48% of the patients stayed in the hospital for at least 15 days. 35 patients had a record of parenteral feeding. 33% of the patients died in the period of analysis.

CONCLUSIONS: The study shows evidence of the higher complexity of SBS patients, with high hospital lengths of stay and high mortality rates. Low parenteral feeding records were observed which may be due to SBS sub-diagnosis suggesting the need for stronger awareness for more adequate SBS diagnosis and treatment.