Nutritional assessment of hemodialysis patients - DOI: 10.4025/actascihealthsci.v30i1.4397

Abstract

Patients undergoing hemodialysis are frequently subjected to alterations in their nutritional state, strongly associated with increased morbimortality in this population. This study had as objective to appraise the nutritional state and the adequacy of the diet of patients undergoing hemodialysis. We studied 31 patients by means of records from a nephrology clinic located in Maringá, Paraná State, from November 2005 to February 2006. The population was composed of 61.29% adults and 38.71% elderly patients. The body mass index indicated that 12.9% of patients had low weight and 32.26% were overweight. The average intake of nutrients was adequate for carbohydrates, protein, iron, phosphorus and potassium, but deficient in calories, lipids and calcium, and excessive in water and sodium. As such, it is evidenced that nutritional evaluation is an essential activity, given the high prevalence of nutritional and dietary disorders observed in this population.