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[Nutritional status assessment in leprous hospitalized patients in Argentina].

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Leprosy is a regional problem of public health in the Argentine Republic. It has seen a continuous decrease of the prevalence in the last 10 years, with value is about 0.17/10000 citizen and the detection rate is constant about 0.10/10000 citizen. Even the death rate is low, its importance is given for the physicals, socials, permanents and the progressive disabilities that its produce if there no early diagnostic and a regular and complete treatment. The Dr. Baldomero Sommer National Hospital, that give a complete assistance to the leprosy patients either to the pavilion patients or the ill patients that help oneselves and live in houses with their families and where it is given food assistance to promote and increase their quality of life.

OBJECTIVES: Evaluate The nutritional state of the ill patients that help oneselves and live in houses with their families. Analyze the caloric and proteic brought by the institution.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: It is a transversal and descriptive study. We made a nutritional evaluation of the patients that live in each of the 4 suburb of the hospital, whom has been previously appointed by the coordinator of the zone, with the porpoise of identify the nutritional state of each one of the patients, quantify the nutritional risk, and indicate, adequate and monitories the nutritional support. The diagnostic was realized by the dietician through: anthropometric parameters (weight, height and body mass index), biochemical parameters, according to the clinical history: albumin, cholesterol, urea, hematocrito and associated illness.

RESULTS: We evaluated 219 patients of 246, with a middle age of 56.4 years, 62.2% males and 57.8% females. We detected that obesity was the nutritional disorder with mayor prevalence in these population (74.3%) and with mayor incidence in the moderate obesity in males and mayor incidence in severe obesity in females. The prevalence of malnourishment was 3.6% and well-nourished was 23.7%, 27 of the patients (10.9%) did not go to the nutritional evaluation. The 2.8% of the patients did not have an actual laboratory for more than 2 years. In the clinical histories, we found that the dosage of albumin in an average of 4.2 g/dl, and the 2.8% of the patients did not have any value of albumin. The values of hematocrito and urea determinate an adequate brought of proteins in the evaluated population. Inside the nutritional diagnostic we considerate the search of diabetes (present ion the 9.7% of the patients), dislipemia (present ion the 32.8% of the patients, taken a level of 200 mg / dl of cholesterol), chronic renal deficiency (present in the 9.3% of the patients), and arterial hypertension (present in the 33.6% of the patients).

CONCLUSIONS: Exist a high prevalence of moderate-severe obesity in the studied population that have no coincidence with the universal literature. These data shows the necessity to adequate the caloric and proteic brought to the patients. The majority of the patients presented Dislipemia and or diabetes and or arterial hypertension. Promote the development of educational programs to better the nutritional state of the risk population, better the quality of life and reduce cardiovascular risks, using an international model that include strategies for the following of a health diet and an increase of physical activity.

Translated Abstract
RESUMEN Introducción: En la República Argentina la Lepra es un problema de salud pública regional. Se observa un continuo descenso de la tasa de prevalencia en los últimos 10 años. El hospital Nac. Dr. Baldomero Sommer brinda asistencia integral al enfermo de Lepra en las modalidades de atención de los pacientes en pabellones y salas de internación en casas que habitan enfermos autoválidos y sus familiares, donde se les provee asistencia alimentaria . Objetivos: Evaluar el estado nutricional de pacientes que residen en el hospital. Analizar el aporte calóricoproteico brindado por la Institución. Material y métodos: Estudio Transversal y Descriptivo. Se realizó una Evaluación Nutricional a los pacientes que residen en los 4 barrios que se encuentran en el hospital. Se obtuvo información disponible en las historias clínicas sobre Parámetros Bioquímicos y de las patologías asociadas prevalentes. Resultados: Se evaluaron 219 pacientes, de un total de 246, edad promedio 56,4 años, 62,2% Hombres y 37,8% Mujeres. La Obesidad resultó el trastorno nutricional de mayor prevalencia (74,3%). Desnutrición 3,6%, Eunutridos 23,7%. No concurrieron a la evaluación 10,9% de los pacientes y 2,8% no tenían laboratorio actualizado (+ de 2 años). El promedio Albúmina fue 4,2 g/dl, 28,45% no tenían registrado valor de Albúmina. Los valores de Hto, Urea determinaron un adecuado aporte proteico. Dentro del diagnóstico nutricional se tuvo en consideración la búsqueda de patologías prevalentes como Diabetes que estuvo presente en el 9,7% de los pacientes, Dislipidemia = 32,8%, IRC = 9,3%, HTA = 33,6%. Conclusiones: Existe una alta prevalencia de Obesidad Moderada-Severa en la población estudiada que no es coincidente con la literatura actual y pone de manifiesto la necesidad de adecuar a la brevedad el aporte calórico-proteico. Impulsar medidas preventivas a través de Programas de Educación con el propósito de mejorar el estado nutricional de la población en riesgo, mejorar la calidad de vida, reducir los factores de riesgo cardiovasculares, utilizando un modelo de intervención que incluya estrategias para el seguimiento de una dieta saludable y el aumento de la actividad física. Palabras clave: Estado nutricional. Lepra.

More information

Type
Journal Article
Author
Canicoba M
Feldman N
Lipovetzky S
Moyano O