Evaluación nutricional de pacientes cirróticos compensados

Introduccion: la malnutricion proteico-energetica es la complicacion mas frecuente en pacientes cirroticos, la valoracion nutricional es dificil y la atencion en este sentido es deficiente. Objetivo: evaluar el estado nutricional de los pacientes con cirrosis hepatica. Metodos: se realizo un estudio observacional descriptivo de 19 pacientes, de ambos sexos, entre 15 y 60 anos de edad, con diagnostico de cirrosis hepatica compensada, atendidos en el Hospital Clinicoquirurgico 10 de Octubre, desde enero de 2008 a enero de 2009, para evaluar el estado nutricional. Se utilizaron variables como: edad y sexo, antropometricas (peso, talla, circunferencia del brazo e Indice de masa corporal), de laboratorio y dieteticas. Resultados: predomino el sexo masculino y el grupo de 45 a 54 anos de edad. El mayor numero de pacientes estuvo entre 6 meses y un ano del diagnostico. Se encontro un porcentaje elevado de desnutricion, segun indice de masa corporal, la circunferencia del brazo fue el indicador antropometrico menos afectado. La anemia se presento en mas del 50 porciento y el 26 porciento tuvo linfopenia. Se evidencio que al disminuir la frecuencia de comidas al dia, aumento la frecuencia e intensidad de la malnutricion. Conclusiones: la frecuencia de malnutricion proteico-energetica en la poblacion cirrotica estudiada fue elevada, con mayor indice de malnutricion en casos de origen alcoholico, ademas se comprobo que el estado nutricional del paciente cirrotico no puede ser valorado al margen de factores dieteticos Introduction: protein-energy malnutrition is the most common complication in cirrhotic patients. Nutritional assessment is difficult and care is deficient. Objective: evaluate the nutritional status of patients with liver cirrhosis. Methods: an observational descriptive study was conducted of 19 patients of both sexes aged 15-60 diagnosed with compensated liver cirrhosis, cared for at 10 de Octubre Clinical Surgical Hospital from January 2008 to January 2009, with the purpose of evaluating their nutritional status. The variables studied were age and sex, anthropometric measurements (weight, height, arm circumference and body mass index), laboratory data and dietary information. Results: there was a prevalence of the male sex and the 45-54 age group. Most patients were between 6 months and one year from diagnosis. Malnutrition was found to be high, based on body mass index. Arm circumference was the least affected anthropometric indicator. Anemia was present in more than 50 percent, and 26 percent had lymphopenia. It was found that as the frequency of meals a day decreased, there was an increase in the frequency and intensity of malnutrition. Conclusions: protein-energy malnutrition was high in the cirrhotic population studied, with higher malnutrition rates in cases of alcoholic origin. It was also found that the nutritional status of cirrhotic patients can only be assessed with reference to dietary factors