Nutritional assessment of hospitalized patients: Comparison of real and estimated anthropometric measures

ABSTRACT The assessment of the nutritional status of hospitalized patients is fundamental to the establishment of the diagnosis. For bedridden patients, however, it is not possible to determine simple measures, such as weight and height, which are the most widely used variables for nutritional assessments. Objective: Compare real and estimated anthropometric measures in hospitalized patients. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with adult (>18 years of age) and senior patients (>60 years of age) admitted for clinical or surgical treatment in the general surgery infirmary of Governador Paulo Guerra Restauração Hospital. Data (sex, age, clinical diagnosis, real weight, real height, body mass index, knee height and arm circumference) were collected using nutritional follow-up charts and tabulated using Excel 2016. Statistical analyses were performed in SPSS® version 21.0. Results: One hundred and twenty patients participated in the study (median age: 55 years). Most were adults (73.3%) and women (53.3%). The mean differences in weight between the estimated and real measures were statistically significant (p=0.000), with an overestimation of this variable. Regarding height, the estimated values differed significantly from the real values in both men and women (p<0.000) and the difference was larger among the seniors (mean: -0.072). No significant difference was found between the real and estimated body mass index (p= 0.44). Conclusion: In the comparison of methods for estimating weight and height to real measures, a tendency was found to overestimate these body measures.

RESUMEN La evaluación del estado nutricional de los pacientes hospitalizados es esencial para establecer su diagnóstico. Sin embargo, para los pacientes postrados en cama, no se pueden realizar medidas sencillas como el peso y la altura, que son las más utilizadas para el diagnóstico nutricional. Objetivo: Comparar mediciones antropométricas reales y estimadas en pacientes hospitalizados. Metodología: Estudio transversal, que incluye pacientes adultos (>18 años) y personas mayores de 60 años, ingresados para tratamiento clínico o quirúrgico en la sala de cirugía general del Hospital da Restauração Governador Paulo Guerra. Los datos (sexo, edad, diagnóstico clínico, peso real, altura real, índice de masa corporal, altura de la rodilla y circunferencia del brazo) se recopilaron mediante los formularios de monitoreo nutricional y se tabularon en el software Excel 2016. Los análisis estadísticos se realizaron con SPSS®, versión 21.0. Resultados: 120 pacientes con mediana de 55 años, en su mayoría adultos (73,3%) y mujeres (53,3%). Las diferencias promedio entre las mediciones estimadas y reales fueron estadísticamente significativas, con sobreestimación del peso (p<0,0001). Con respecto a la altura, fue posible identificar que las medidas estimadas diferían significativamente (p<0,0001) de las reales para hombres y mujeres, y que esta variación era aún mayor entre los ancianos (media: -0,072). No hubo diferencias estadísticamente significativas entre el índice de masa corporal real y el estimado (p= 0,44). Conclusión: Al comparar las metodologías para estimar el peso y la altura con las mediciones reales, fue posible observar una tendencia de los métodos a sobreestimar estas mediciones corporales.

Imunomodulação em paciente queimado fasciotomizado: Relato de caso / Immunomodulation in a burned fasciotomized patient: A case report

OBJETIVO: Descrever a evolução clínica e nutricional de paciente queimado fasciotomizado com uso de terapia nutricional imunomoduladora. RELATO DO CASO: Estudo do tipo relato de caso, realizado durante 52 dias na Unidade de Tratamento de Queimados do Hospital da Restauração Governador Paulo Guerra, em Recife-PE. Paciente do sexo masculino, adulto, 27 anos, proveniente do interior de Pernambuco, sem comorbidades, queimado por eletricidade de alta voltagem após acidente de trabalho, evoluindo com síndrome compartimental do membro superior esquerdo e submetido a fasciotomia. Prescrita dieta por via oral associada à suplementação imunomoduladora de característica hipercalórica, hiperproteica, contendo arginina e alto teor de oligoelementos e micronutrientes. Durante o internamento, o paciente apresentou manutenção do estado nutricional, com adesão de novos hábitos alimentares que contribuíram para a cicatrização do membro afetado. CONCLUSÃO: A terapia nutricional imunomoduladora individualizada beneficiou a reparação tecidual, cicatrização e redução do risco de amputação em paciente queimado fasciotomizado.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the clinical and nutritional evolution of a burn patient submitted to fasciotomy and immunomodulating nutritional therapy. CASE REPORT: A case-report study was conducted over a 52-day period at the Burn Treatment Unit of Governador Paulo Guerra Restauração Hospital in the city of Recife, Brazil. A 27-year-old male patient, brown skin color, from the instate region of the state of Pernambuco, without comorbidities, suffered a high-voltage electrical burn after a work accident, developing compartment syndrome of the left upper limb, and was submitted to fasciotomy. An orally diet was prescribed associated with immunomodulatory supplementation with a hypercaloric, hyper protein character, with arginine and high content of trace elements and micronutrients. During hospitalization, the patient's nutritional status was maintained with the adherence to new dietary habits, which contributed to the healing of the affected limb. CONCLUSIONS: Individualized immunomodulating nutritional therapy benefits the tissue repair and healing processes, reducing the risk of amputation in burn patients submitted to fasciotomy.