Clinical value of different nutritional evaluation indexes in acute lymphoblastic leukemia pediatric patients during the stage of remission induction / 中国实用护理杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To compare the nutritional evaluation methods and to analyze the clinical value of different nutritional evaluation indexes in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) pediatric patients during the stage of remission induction.Methods:The clinical data of 132 ALL pediatric patients who were diagnosed and treated with remission induction in Shanghai Children′s Medical Center, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University from January 2018 to December 2020 were collected by convenient sampling method. The body composition was measured by direct segmental multifrequency bioelectrical impedance measurement (DSM-BIA), and the height, weight, upper arm circumference and triceps skinfold thickness were also measured. The Screening Tool for the Assessment of Malnutrition in Pediatrics scores were calculated. The serum albumin value and the hemoglobin value were monitored. Using DSM-BIA as the reference standard, the accuracy of different nutritional evaluation indexes was investigated and analyzed.Results:During the stage of remission induction in ALL pediatric patients, there were 69 out of 132 children who had the muscle mass below normal. The muscle mass below normal was detected in 52.3% (69/132). And the upper arm circumference had the highest correlation and the minimal standard error with muscle mass measured by DSM-BIA ( R2=0.520, SE=0.180). Grouped with nutritional status by the upper arm circumference, the children with normal nutritional status had lower incidence of very severe neutropenia 76.8% (24/32) than 92.1% (70/76) with abnormal nutritional status ( χ2=6.14, P=0.013). Conclusions:During the stage of remission induction in ALL pediatric patients, the malnutrition rate is high. The upper arm circumference is a simple index which can accurately reflect the nutritional status of the ALL pediatric patients. It is suggested that the upper arm circumference should be used as the primary screening index of clinical nutrition by clinical nurses.