| Theme |
New Trends in Nutritional Assessment of Dialysis Patients |
| Title |
Nutritional assessment : theory, techniques and problems |
| Author |
Eiji Takeda |
Department of Clinical Nutrition Institute of Health Biosciences, University of Tokushima Graduate School |
| Author |
Hisami Okumura |
Department of Clinical Nutrition Institute of Health Biosciences, University of Tokushima Graduate School |
| Author |
Yutaka Taketani |
Department of Clinical Nutrition Institute of Health Biosciences, University of Tokushima Graduate School |
| [ Summary ] |
Nutritional problems affecting survival rates greater than one year have frequently been observed in patients undergoing hemodialysis. Nutritional assessment is absolutely necessary for the adequate nutritional care. There are four categories of nutritional assessment. One is consultation to understand changes in patient body weight, food intake, and life style. Anthropometric analysis provides indices such as body mass index, percent of ideal body weight, percent of weight loss, etc. Serum albumin concentrations and protein catabolic rates are particularly important parameters for laboratory assessment. Finally, cooperative support by a nutritional support team will be required for the understanding of nutritional balance. Therefore, it is concluded nutritional support service, using nutritional assessment, is absolutely necessary to provide high quality therapy for patients. |