Evaluating a Modified Frailty Screening Tool to Predict Complications and Readmissions in Adults 70 and Older Undergoing Major Elective Surgery

What this Trial Is About

Frailty is a common condition in older adults associated with reduced physical reserve and higher risk from surgery. As more elderly people have major elective surgeries, frailty is often not well assessed, and no standard screening tool is widely used. The Essential Frailty Toolset EFT is a simple assessment with strong prediction for complications and death after cardiac surgery. A modified version, the mEFT, was created to be easier and faster to use in a wider range of surgeries but has not yet been studied in elderly patients having major elective non-cardiac surgery. This research will evaluate the mEFT, which measures physical function, thinking ability, nutrition, and anemia in just a few minutes. It assigns points based on tests like the Timed Up and Go TUG test, the Clock Drawing Test CDT, body mass index or recent weight loss, and hemoglobin levels. Patients 70 years or older scheduled for major elective surgery will be screened before surgery. Those scoring 3 or more on the mEFT are considered frail, while others form a control group. Participants will undergo surgery with routine care while researchers monitor for complications up to 30 days after surgery and readmissions up to 90 days. Additional outcomes include length of hospital stay, mortality up to 180 days, and discharge to non-home settings. This study aims to see if the mEFT can help identify patients at higher risk, improving preoperative decisions and care planning for older adults having major surgery.

Modified Essential Frailty Toolset in Older Adults Undergoing Major Elective Surgery