No nutrition assessment tools specifically tailored for intensive care unit (ICU) patients have been developed and validated in Singapore. Studies conducted in Brazilian populations suggest that the thickness of the adductor pollicis muscle (TAPM) may be used to assess nutritional status and predict mortality of critically ill patients. The aim of this study was to determine if TAPM can be used as a predictive indicator of mortality in Singapore ICU patients. TAPM values were obtained using skinfold calipers in 229 patients admitted to the medical ICU. TAPM measured in both hands showed no significant correlation with either the primary outcome (28-day mortality) or secondary outcomes (hospital outcome and hospital length of stay). This study demonstrated that TAPM does not predict 28-day mortality and hospital outcome, and is not correlated to length of stay in Singapore ICU patients. More studies are necessary to validate the use of TAPM as an anthropometric indicator of ICU outcome in other regions of the world.
在新加坡，尚未有針對加護病房病人量身打造的營養評估工具被發展或驗 證。巴西族群研究，建議內收拇肌（TAPM）的厚度可用於評估重症疾病病人 的營養狀況，及預測死亡風險。本研究目的為評估TAPM 是否可作為新加坡 加護病房病人的死亡預測指標。使用皮脂測量儀，收集229 名在醫療加護病 房的病人其TAPM。雙手的TAPM 測量值與主要結果（28 天死亡率），或次 要結果（住院結果及住院天數）均未達顯著相關。本研究證實TAPM 無法預 測新加坡加護病房病人的28 天死亡率及住院結果，與住院天數也無關。需要 更多研究，才能驗證TAPM 是否可在世界的其他區域當作加護病房結果的體 位測量指標。.