Impact of continuity of care based on Triangle theory on nutritional status of patients after pancreatic cancer surgery: a retrospective study

Objective: To evaluate the impact of Triangle theory -based continuity of care on postoperative malnutrition in pancreatic cancer patients. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the data from 184 patients with pancreatic cancer admitted to The Second People's Hospital of Lanzhou City from January 2020 to May 2023. Patients were divided into a control group receiving conventional care (n = 114) and a study group receiving Triangle theory -based care (n = 70). Postoperative nutritional status and prognosis were compared between the two groups. Nutritional indexes included serum total protein (STP), albumin (ALB), and hemoglobin (HB). Self -care ability was assessed using the Exercise of Self -care Agency (ESCA). Quality of life was measured using the Quality -of -Life Questionnaire for Pancreatic Cancer 26 (QLQ-PAN-26), and the incidence of malnutrition was evaluated using the Patient -Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA). Multifactorial logistic regression was applied to analyze risk factors for malnutrition. Results: At ten days post -operation, the study group showed significantly better nutritional levels (P < 0.05). After three months, the, study group also exhibited superior self -care ability and quality of life scores (all P < 0.001). The incidence of malnutrition was 42.39%. Independent risk factors for malnutrition included routine care (OR = 3.459), operation time >= 90 min (OR = 2.277), intraoperative bleeding >= 200 mL (OR = 2.590), postoperative day 1 ALB < 37.5 g/L (OR = 3.975), and HB < 95.5 g/L (OR = 6.068). Conclusion: Triangle theory -based continuity of care significantly improves nutritional status and quality of life in postoperative pancreatic cancer patients, demonstrating its potential for broader clinical use.