Abstract
To analyze the relationship between the subjective assessment of nutritional status and anthropometric parameters, as well as the prognostic value of the subjective evaluation, the nutritional status of 280 patients was evaluated as follows on admission to a semi-intensive care unit: temporal muscle atrophy, Bichat's fat atrophy, upper and lower extremities muscle atrophy and subcutaneous fat atrophy. Each parameter was categorized into three degrees of severity and a nutritional score (NS) was obtained. We have also determined the mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC), the triceps skinfold (TSF), the mid-arm muscle area (MAMA), serum albumin and transferrin. During the hospital admission 88 patients died. We found a good concordance (82%) between subjective and objective (anthropometric data, fifth percentile criteria) assessments. Those patients who died showed significant lower values of MUAC, MAMA, TSF, serum albumin and transferrin; and higher neutrophil count, alpha-1-antitrypsin, ferritin, BUN and also NS. Discriminant stepwise analysis showed that the subjective evaluation predicts survival better than the individual anthropometric parameters.