Comparación de la medición de cuatro pliegues cutáneos mediante la aplicación dos técnicas diferentes / Comparison of four skinfold measurement using two different techniques

Introducción: de acuerdo a la bibliografía, las técnicas de medición de los pliegues grasos cutáneos refieren que se realizan tomando la piel y el tejido subcutáneo adyacente entre el pulgar y el índice, sin existir acuerdo establecido acerca de si debe sostenerse con los dedos el pliegue mientras el calibre lo mide, o si debe soltarse el pliegue para dejar que el calibre actúe solo. Esta discrepancia nos motivó a investigar comparativamente ambas técnicas. Objetivos: comparar si existen diferencias estadísticamente significativas entre la toma del pliegue libre (PL) y el pliegue sostenido (PS) en los cuatro pliegues grasos más utilizados en antropometría. Materiales y métodos: se evaluaron 110 individuos de ambos sexos, a quienes se les midió, entre otras variables, los pliegues tricipital, subescapular, ilíaco y bicipital con ambas técnicas para analizar estadísticamente las diferencias entre ambas. Para el tratamiento estadístico se emplearon el test de Pearson y la significación (p) de las diferencias de sus medias (Bland y Altman, y el test de "t" para muestras apareadas). Resultados: la media de las diferencias y el grado de significación (P) para los pliegues bicipital, ilíaco, subescapular y tricipital fueron respectivamente: -0,24 (P=0,08 NS), -0,25 (P=0,3 NS), -0,19 (P=0,24 NS), 0,18 (P=0,99 NS). El error técnico de medición (ETM) se ubicó en torno al 1% (NS). Conclusiones: en la muestra estudiada no se hallaron diferencias significativas entre ambas técnicas de medición.

Introduction: in accordance with the literature cited, fat skinfold measurement techniques entail pinching the skin and the adjacent subcutaneous tissue between the index finger and the thumb. However, no consensus has been reached on whether the skinfold must be pinched between the fingers while the caliper measures, or whether the skinfold must be released so that the caliper can measure on its own. This discrepancy has encouraged us to conduct a comparative research on both techniques. Objectives: to compare whether there are statistically significant differences between measuring the released skinfold (RS) and the pinched skinfold (PS) in the four fat skinfolds most commonly used in anthropometry. Materials and methods: a total of 110 individuals, both male and female, had their tricipital, subscapular, iliac, and bicipital skinfolds -among other variables- measured. Both techniques were used in order to statistically analyze the differences between them. For the statistical treatment, Pearson's test was used, and the significance (p) of the means' differences (Bland and Altman) and the t-test for paired samples. Results: the mean of the differences and the degree of significance (P) for bicipital, iliac, subscapular, and tricipital skinfolds were: -0.24 (P=0.08 NS), -0.25 (P=0.3 NS), -0.19 (P=0.24 NS), and 0.18 (P=0.99 NS), respectively. The technical error of measurement (TEM) was around 1% (NS). Conclusions: the analyzed sample did not show significant differences between both measurement techniques.

Desnutrición Hospitalaria / Nosocomial Malnutrition

Hospitalary malnutrition is a highly prevalent entity. Hospitalized patients with severe malnutrition usually show a high morbimortality. Many severe malnutritions inside the hospital could be avoided. The adequate and early nutritional support can mitigate or even spare a severe malnutrition. The introduction of a nutritions support team management in a community hospital is a favorable cost/beneficial resource. Also the possibility of a domiciliary nutritional support, should be a feasibe practice in a high complexity hospital. Still remains as an ethical dilemma to determine when a patient should be considered as terminal and when the nutritional support - even with low complexity and low costis a trifling therapeutics.