Associação entre a espessura do músculo adutor do polegar e o estado nutricional em pacientes críticos

Abstract

Objective: To assess the association between the Adductor Pollicis Muscle Thickness (APMT) with other anthropometric measures and the Subjective Global Assessment (SGA) in critically ill patients. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 17 adult and elderly patients were evaluated in an Intensive Care Unit of a public tertiary university hospital in Brazil. Participants were assessed within the first 24 hours. Sociodemographic, clinical, biochemical and anthropometric data, including APMT, were collected. Comparisons and correlations between participants with and without malnutrition were performed. Results: All participants underwent only clinical treatment and were classified as wellnourished according to the SGA (53%). The EMAP of the dominant hand showed a moderate to strong correlation (r: 0.50 to 0.75), positive and statistically significant (p<0.05) with all the anthropometric measures analyzed (AC, MAC, MAA, CC, subscapular and triciptal skinfolds), while the EMAP of the non-dominant hand did not show any strong correlation, with most of the analyzes not significant. On average, the EMAP of the well-nourished participants, in both hands, was higher when compared to those malnourished by the SGA (2.0 mm: dominant hand; 1.0 mm: non-dominant hand). Conclusion: The results suggest that EMAP, especially of the dominant hand, is an anthropometric measure of good affinity with measures of muscle mass assessment, such as AC, MAC and MAA, and also with SGA for nutritional assessment of critical patients.