Nutritional status and outcome of surgery: A prospective observational cohort study of children at a tertiary surgical hospital in Harare, Zimbabwe

Prospective study of 136 pediatric surgical patients in Zimbabwe found 31% were undernourished preoperatively, with a seven-fold increased risk of adverse outcomes including mortality, surgical site infection, and reoperation. The strong correlation between malnutrition and postoperative complications suggests preoperative nutritional intervention may significantly improve surgical outcomes in resource-limited settings.