Usefulness of an estimation of physiologic ability and surgical stress (E-PASS) scoring system to predict the incidence of postoperative complications in gastrointestinal surgery

Surgical intervention induces various host responses to maintain homeostasis. When postoperative inflammation is intense and persists for a long time, postoperative complications may occur, sometimes developing into multiple organ failure. Therefore, it is very important to assess surgical stress and predict the risk of morbidity and mortality. Using a new scoring system, an estimation of physiologic ability and surgical stress (E-PASS) scoring system, surgical stress following gastrointestinal surgery was evaluated to assess the feasibility of this scoring system. This system comprises a preoperative risk score (PRS), a surgical stress score (SSS), and a comprehensive risk score (CRS) that is calculated from both the PRS and the SSS. The relationship of the E-PASS score to the incidence of morbidity and mortality was examined. The relationship between the E-PASS score and a sequential organ failure (SOFA) score was also evaluated. The CRS had a significant positive correlation between not only the incidence but also the grade of postoperative complications. Total maximum SOFA score in patients with a CRS of more than 1 was significantly higher than that in patients with a CRS of less than 1. In conclusion, the E-PASS scoring system will be useful for predicting and recognizing the risk of postoperative complications. This scoring system is brief, simple, and reproducible and can be useful in all types of hospitals.