Comparison of three techniques for the assessment of nutritional status in patients undergoing open heart surgery

Abstract

This study aimed to assess the nutritional status of patients undergoing open heart surgery using Subjective Global Assessment, Nutritional Risk Index and Nutritional Risk Screening-2002 techniques. After obtaining ethics committee approval arid informed consent front patients, 110 patients undergoing elective open heart surgery were included in this prospective study. Preoperative anthropometric data (triceps skin-fold thickness, upper mid-arm circumference, body mass index) arid laboratory tests (hemoglobin, hematocrit, lenfocyte count, albumine, AST, ALT, HDL, LDL, total cholesterol, C-reactive protein, urea, creatinine) were recorded. The patients' nutritional status was assessed usiag Subjective Global Assessment, Nutritional Risk Index and Nutritional Risk Screening-2002. The data front the study were analysed using Cochran and Mc Nemar tests to compare three nutritional assessment techniques. Among the 710 patients included in tire study, 16 patients according to Subjective Global Assessment, 27 patients according to Nutritional Risk Index and 51 patients according to Nutritional Risk Screening-2002 were diagnosed as malnourished; the difference between all three techniques was significant (p<0.05). The duration of hospital stay was found to be significantly prolonged in patients diagnosed as malnourished according to all three assessment techniques (p<0.05). There were no significant differences in terms of postoperative complications between patients diagnosed as malnourished and well-nourished according to all three techniques. In conclusion, Subjective Global Assessment, Nutritional Risk Index arid Nutritional Risk Screening-2002 can all be applied easily for nutritional assessment in patients undergoing open heart surgery. There was no relationship between nutritional status as diagnosed by all three assessment techniques and postoperative morbidity and mortality in patients undergoing open heart surgery.