Surgeons' knowledge of perioperative nutrition

Consideration of perioperative nutrition significantly increases the positive outcomes of patients admitted for surgery. The aim of this study was to assess surgeons' level of knowledge of perioperative nutrition (NP) at the Saint-Louis (Sénégal) Regional Hospital. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted. The collection tool focused on respondents' general characteristics and level of knowledge. Statistical analyses were performed using R software. The participation rate was 93.2 % (41 participants out of the 44 expected), with a M/F sex ratio of 5.1. The mean age was 35.5 ± 8 years, ranging from 27 to 62 years. General surgeons accounted for 53.7 % of respondents. According to 80.5 % of participants, there was no specific management of perioperative nutrition within their departments, and 97.6 % of them had never received training in NP. For surgeons, the main players involved in NP are: the nutritionist (73.2 %), the patient (63.4 %) and the patient's family (61.0 %). Although 80.5 % of participants knew the BMI value that might indicate undernutrition, 43.9 % and 26.8 % respectively had no idea about albuminemia and the rate of weight loss that might indicate undernutrition. Nearly a quarter (24.4 %) of surgeons had a good knowledge of NP. Despite some knowledge of perioperative nutrition, the overall level of knowledge was limited. Awareness-raising workshops and the introduction of nutrition modules in surgeon training would be relevant avenues to consider the Saint-Louis (Sénégal) Regional Hospital.