Possibility of bioimpedance-based nutritional status assessment in rehabilitation

Abstract

Introduction: We do not have a diagnostic method for malnutrition yet that can monitor the nutritional status of patients in rehabilitation institutions and its changes in an objective, accurate, reproducible way. Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the risk of malnutrition in patients at the National Institute for Medical Rehabilitation of Hungary completing with bioimpedance-based body composition in order to develop adequate nutrition therapy. Method: The Nutritional Risk Screening 2002 questionnaire was used. Body composition analysis was determined by the multifrequency bioimpedance-based seca mBCA 525 device. Results: The association between the risk of malnutrition measured by a validated screening method of 41 patients was weaker with fat-free mass index (r = -0.487, p = 0.001) and skeletal muscle mass (r = -0.476, p = 0.002) than with body mass index (r = -0.662, p<0.001). It was not correlated with fat mass. Strong correlations of body mass index with body composition were significantly weakened in the case of brain injuries. A strong correlation between skeletal muscle and fat mass was observed in all cases. Body mass index correlated with extracellular and total body water ratio only in the case of brain injuries. The extracellular and total body water ratio presented a strong correlation with the phase angle in each case (r = -0.711, p<0.001). Phase angle showed the strongest correlations with fat-free mass index (r = 0.638, p<0.001), skeletal muscle (r = 0.544, p<0.001) and fat mass (r = 0.588, p<0.001) in the case of brain-injured patients. Conclusion: Malnutrition screening tools are not sensitive enough for patient groups of rehabilitation institutions, and with body mass index, less risky patients can be screened out than with body composition analysis. Combining screening with bioimpedance-based body composition analysis is a suitable method for rehabilitation hospitals.