[Nutritional care and clinical improvement in a renal ward: a pilot multimodal approach]

Malnutrition is an independent factor associated with morbi-mortality in chronic kidney disease. It is particularly common and may increase during hospitalization.

Objectives: To measure nutritional and physical performance evolution as well as patients' physical autonomy during a hospitalization in a university hospital renal ward. Treatments were adjusted according to different diagnoses (nutritional care, body composition, physical activity) along with a multidisciplinary approach. In this way, it can show the impact of this care on nutritional status of the patient.

Design: Regardless of their nutritional status and kidney disease (acute or chronic kidney disease, chronic hemodialysis), patients were included at day 0, within 2 days from admission; nutritional interventions and measurements were assessed on day 7, day 14 and day 21. The study was run from December 2011 till June 2012, and 48 patients were included.

Results: On admission, patients had a low energy intake (20.9±8.6 kcal/kg/day). This intake was improved by means of a dietetic intervention (28.1±6.5 kcal/kg/day after two weeks of hospitalization, 29±6.1 kcal/kg/day after three weeks and 29±8.4 kcal/kg/day after four weeks). Seventy-three percent of the hospitalized patients were malnourished, among them 91% had a decreased serum albumin (26.8±6.6 g/L). Weight and muscle mass (measured by impedancemetry) were maintained, prealbumin increased by 16.5 mg/L after two weeks (n=48; P=0.61), 27.8 mg/L after three weeks (n=31; P=0.018), 52.3 mg/L after four weeks (n=13; P=0.002) and albuminemia by 1.8 g/L (n=13 patients monitoring four weeks; P=0.13). Both physical autonomy (assessed with Test moteur minimum) and muscle strength (Hand Grip Test) were significantly improved.

Conclusion: A systematic screening of wasting and a multidisciplinary care improved nutritional status and physical ability of patients hospitalized in a renal ward.