THE ROLE OF SERUM PHOSPHATE LEVEL AND ACUTE ISCHEMIC BOWEL-DISEASE

The objectives of this study were to determine whether an elevated ser um phosphate level is predictive of acute ischemic bowel disease and w hether it serves as a prognostic indicator in patients with intestinal ischemia. A retrospective chart review was performed at an urban teac hing hospital emergency department. Twenty-three patients with documen ted acute ischemic bowel disease from 1990 through 1994 were compared with 27 patients with acute abdominal disease entities unrelated to in testinal ischemia. The sensitivity, specificity, and positive and nega tive predictive values of serum phosphate were 26%, 85%, 60%, and 58% respectively, Levels of phosphate in patients with intestinal ischemia versus controls were 4.20 versus 3.41 mg/dL (P =.1338). The length of bowel necrosis in the experimental group with elevated phosphate vers us normal phosphate level was 57.53 cm versus 99.00 cm (P =.4132). Alt hough not statistically significant, linear regression revealed slight ly positive correlations in those with elevated phosphate versus norma l phosphate level (in the experimental group) with the length of bowel necrosis and duration of hospital stay as r =.155 (P =.4813) and r =. 134 (P =.5418), respectively, Serum phosphate level independently has no diagnostic or prognostic value in acute ischemic bowel disease. Cop yright (C) 1996 by W.B. Saunders Company.