Liver Cirrhosis: Assessment of Patients Nutritional Status at Assiut University Hospital.

Khalil, Shaymaa S.; Youssef,, Mohamed El-Sayed; Mekkawy, Mimi M.; Abdelmalek, Mohamed O.

doi:10.21608/asnj.2015.59806

Liver Cirrhosis: Assessment of Patients Nutritional Status at Assiut University Hospital.

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Assistant Lecturer of Adult Nursing, Faculty of Nursing/ Assiut University, Egypt

² Professor of Food Science and Technology, Faculty of Agriculture, Assiut University, Egypt

³ Assistant professor of Adult Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Assiut University, Egypt.

⁴ Lecturer of Tropical Medicine & Gastroenterology, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Egypt.

10.21608/asnj.2015.59806

Abstract

Death rate of patients with liver cirrhosis is 41.6% in Egypt. It is important to assess the nutritional status of this group of patients because these patients suffer from protein-calorie malnutrition. Aim: Assessment of nutritional status in patients with liver cirrhosis in Assiut university hospital.Patient and Methods: 60 adult patients with liver cirrhosis as a study group were conducted at Tropical Medicine and Gastroenterology Department at Assiut University hospital. Tools utilized for data collection were :( I) patient assessment and (II) nutritional assessment. Results: The main causes of patients with liver cirrhotic were HCV and HBV infection. Malnutrition was prevalent in 85% of patients. The most common malnutrition risk factors were dry mouth, taste alteration, food intolerance, multiple medications and the presence of ascites. Conclusions: the majority of patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis were malnourished regardless the etiology of liver cirrhosis. Identifying the patients that are approaching the state of malnutrition by simple and easily applied methods is necessary in order to provide nutritional support. Recommendations: Nutritional support and regimen, advice and guidelines by dietitian should be undertaken for all cirrhotic patients to prevent the occurrence of complications of malnutrition and improve clinical outcome.

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