Assessment of Nutritional Status and Correlation of Factors With Body Mass Index of Cancer Patients: A Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: Decreased diet intake and malnourishment have profound implications on cancer patients' quality of life and survival. Malnutrition increases the risk of postoperative complications, increases hospital length stays, reduces patient's tolerance to radiation and chemotherapy treatment, and results in poor response to treatment. In the present study, we intended to assess the nutritional status of cancer patients and find the correlation of body mass index with anthropometric and blood parameters. MATERIAL & METHODS: The study was prospective and cross-sectional, and 104 patients with newly diagnosed solid tumors were included. Patient demographics, symptoms, and anthropometric and blood parameters were collected. The correlation was estimated with Pearson's correlation coefficient. A p-value of less than 0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: The association between stages of the disease, dental status, type of diet, and BMI was p=0.701, 0.216, and 0.422, respectively, and was not statistically significant. The anthropometric parameters mid upper arm circumference (MUAC cm), mid arm circumference (MAC cm), and triceps skinfold thickness (TSF mm) correlated with body mass index (BMI kg/m2) and had statistically significant p values of 0.0001, 0.0001, and 0.033, respectively. The correlation was assessed between hemoglobin, red cell distribution width, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, and serum albumin levels with BMI, but except for albumin (p=0.05), no other blood parameter correlated. CONCLUSION: Nutritional assessment is vital in recognizing patients at risk of treatment-associated complications and poor responders to treatment. In this study, BMI correlated with anthropometric parameters MUAC, MAMC, and TSF. Baseline dietary assessments of patients will help focus on the nutritional build-up of patients before starting treatment.

Intestinal Obstruction Due to an Incarcerated Obturator Hernia: A Case Report and Review of the Literature.

An obturator hernia (OH) is a rare form of pelvic hernia in which the abdominal contents protrude through the obturator canal. Malnourished, frail, and multiparous elderly females are at risk of an OH. Preoperative diagnosis of obturator hernia is challenging because of non-specific symptoms. Most of the cases of OH reported in the literature are diagnosed during a laparotomy for acute intestinal obstruction. However, a contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) scan of the abdomen is the best diagnostic investigation for OH. The morbidity and mortality are high because of the associated complications. We report a case of an obturator hernia in a 79-year-old cachectic female with features of acute intestinal obstruction and the usefulness of a CT scan in the preoperative diagnosis. Early diagnosis and treatment are the keys to preventing disastrous complications.