Valoración nutricional al ingreso hospitalario: iniciación al estudio entre distintas metodologías Nutritional assessment at the time of hospital-admission: study initiation smong different methodologies

Antecedentes y Objetivos: Las altas cifras iniciales de prevalencia de desnutrición en los enfermos hospitalizados-cercanos al 40%- es un dato preocupante. Esto permite deducir que la identificación precoz de enfermos desnutridos o en riesgo de estarlo, mediante métodos de valoración nutricional eficaces puede constituir una herramienta fundamental de cara a la planificación nutricional. El objetivo del presente trabajo ha sido aplicar a un mismo grupo de pacientes distintos métodos de valoración nutricional (objetivos y subjetivos) a su ingreso hospitalario, a fin de valorar el grado de efectividad para su aplicación en la clínica. Ámbito, Pacientes e Intervenciones: Se diseña un estudio prospectivo y aleatorio, en el cual se incluyen 50 pacientes ingresados en nuestro hospital entre el 1 de octubre y el 31 de diciembre del 2004, siendo desestimados 9 casos por fallos en las analíticas. En los tres primeros días de estancia hospitalaria se les realiza antropometría(peso, talla, circunferencia del brazo y medida del pliegue tricipital), bioquímica (hemograma, alb��mina, prealbúmina,proteína ligada al retinol, transferrina y colesterol) dos encuestas de valoración nutricional (Valoración Subjetiva Global (VSG) y Mini Nutricional Assessment (MNA). Resultados: Se ha aplicado el test de &chi;² para comparar los resultados obtenidos de los diferentes métodos objetivos, por separado y en conjunto, con métodos MNA y VSG, estableciéndose las siguientes comparaciones:Antropometría/MNA, Bioquímica/MNA, Inmunología/ MNA, Chang/MNA, Antropometría/VSG, Bioquímica/VSG, Inmunología/VSG, Chang/VSG y MNA/VSG.La significación estadística se ha considerado para un valor de p Background and objectives: The elevated prevalence figures of hyponutrition in hospitalized patients -near 40%- is an issue of concern. This allows deducing that early identification of malnourished, or at risk for hyponutrition, patients by means of effective nutritional assessment methods may represent an essential tool for nutritional planning.The aim of this study was applying to a same group of patients different nutritional assessment methods (objective and subjective) at the time of hospital admission in order to assess the degree of effectiveness for its clinical application. Setting, Patients and Interventions: A prospective randomized study is designed, in which 50 admitted patients of our hospital are included between October 1st and December 31st of 2004, 9 of them being rejected for laboratory errors. During the first 3 days of hospital staying, anthropometrics (weight, height, arm circumference,and tricipital fold measure), biochemistry (full blood count, albumin, pre-albumin, retinol-bound protein, transferrin, and cholesterol), two nutritional assessment questionnaires (Global Subjective Assessment (GSA) and Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA). Results: The &chi;² test has been applied to compare the results obtained from the different objective methods, separately and globally, with the MNA and GSA questionnaires, establishing the following anthropometrical comparisons: anthropometrics/MNA, Biochemistry/ MNA, Chang/MNA, anthropometrics/GSA, Biochemistry/GSA, Chang/GSA, and MNA/GSA. Statistical significance has been set at p < 0.05. Statistical analysis has been done with the SPSS v.11 software.We have not observed a statistical significance between any of the three objective parameters studied: biochemistry, anthropometrics and immunology separately considered in the two nutritional assessment questionnaires. However, the significance is positive when we relate the results obtained by the Chang method, which comprises the three types of objective parameters, with those from the MNA and GSA. A statistical significance was also reached when relating both subjective methods between each other: MNA and GSA. Conclusions: Both the GSA and MNA represent a good indicator to determine high-risk patients for developing complications attributable to hyponutrition. We can attribute them a predictive power similar to that of objective data considered as a whole