Preprocedural prognostic nutritional index predicts early gastrointestinal symptoms after percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy or percutaneous radiologic gastrostomy in Korea: a retrospective cohort study

Purpose: The prognostic nutritional index (PNI) reflects immunonutritional status and is a well-established predictor of surgical outcomes. Although its association with post-gastrostomy mortality has been documented, its relationship with early gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate whether the preprocedural PNI predicts early GI symptoms following percutaneous gastrostomy, including percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) and percutaneous radiologic gastrostomy (PRG). Methods: This retrospective study included 71 adults who underwent PEG or PRG. Early GI symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, occurring within 7 days were recorded. The preprocedural PNI, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and the C-reactive protein (CRP)-to-albumin ratio were analyzed using logistic regression to identify predictors. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed to assess the PNI’s discriminative performance. Results: Early GI symptoms occurred in 21 of 71 patients (29.6%). In univariate analysis, the PNI (P=0.009) and CRP-to-albumin ratio (P=0.018) were significant predictors, whereas NLR was not (P=0.125). After adjustment for potential confounders, including age, sex, body mass index, and NLR, the PNI remained an independent predictor of early GI symptoms (adjusted odds ratio, 0.90; 95% confidence interval, 0.83–0.98; P=0.021). ROC analysis for the PNI produced an area under the curve of 0.696, with an optimal cutoff value of 41.3 (sensitivity 70.6%, specificity 66.7%). Conclusion: A lower preprocedural PNI is independently associated with the development of early GI symptoms after gastrostomy. The PNI may serve as a practical screening tool to identify high-risk patients who could benefit from preemptive nutritional optimization.