Abstract:
Objective To investigate the current status of malnutrition and its association with prognosis in hospitalized patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis.Methods A total of 101 patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis who were treated in our department from January 2013 to December 2014 were enrolled,and according to the Nutritional Risk Screening 2002,they were divided into malnutrition risk group and non- malnutrition risk group.Serum nutritional indices,anthropometric parameters,body composition,and the incidence rates of complications and fatality within 6 months were compared between the two groups.The t- test was used for comparison of continuous data between groups,and the chi- square test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups.Results Compared with the non-malnutrition risk group,the malnutrition risk group had significantly lower serum levels of albumin,total cholesterol,triglyceride,and hemoglobin,body mass index,arm muscle circumference,triceps skinfold thickness,and grip strength(t = 12.562,5.967,4.024,14.775,4.607,7.182,7.424,and 2.256,all P < 0.05).Compared with the non- malnutrition risk group,the malnutrition risk group had significantly lower intracellular water,total body water(TBW),protein,fat,and skeletal muscle content(t = 2.920,6.152,1.713,2.444,and1.693,all P < 0.05),as well as a significantly higher extracellular water / TBW ratio(t = 1.998,P < 0.05).Compared with the non-malnutrition risk group,the malnutrition risk group had significantly higher incidence rates of gastrointestinal bleeding,hepatic encephalopathy,portal vein thrombosis,and electrolyte disturbance and fatality(χ2= 6.410,4.436,3.978,4.316,and 7.285,all P < 0.05).Conclusion Patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis and malnutrition have significantly increased incidence rates of complications and fatality,and it is necessary to enhance nutrition screening in the early stage of liver cirrhosis.