Abstract

FREIJO, Soledad  and  MENGONI, Analía. Nutritional status of hospitalized HIV patients at admission. Diaeta [online]. 2010, vol.28, n.130, pp.37-44. ISSN 1852-7337.

Introduction: Most of the patients diagnosed with HIV/AIDS are hospitalized with complications that are typical of the disease and which have an impact on their nutritional status. Objective: To describe the behaviour of nutritional profile components of patients diagnosed with HIV/AIDS who are admitted at Juan A. Fernández General Acute Care Hospital (Argentina). Material and methods: Descriptive, cross-sectional and prospective study. The profile of HIV/AIDS patients admitted at the hospital was analysed. A nutritional assessment form was completed with the components of the assessed nutritional profile: weight loss percentage (WLP), body fat percentage (BFP), protein percentage (PP), Body Mass Index (BMI), Subjective Global Assessment (SGA), Biochemistry Data (BD) and Prior Nutrition Appointment (PNA). Results: The sample comprised 22 patients. 32% had a severe WL during the 6 months prior to their admission (CI 95%=12.4 - 61.4). 55.6% of women had a BFP higher than the maximum recommended range (CI 95%=13.6 - 79.1), while 30.8% of men were above the maximum range (CI 95%=9.0 - 61.7). 36% had a low PP (CI 95%: 15.8- 65.6). 63.6% had an adequate BMI (IC 95%=34.3 - 84.1). 59.1% had an inadequate SGA (CI 95%: 30.3 - 80%). Finally, 86.3% stated that they had never attended a nutritional appointment (IC 95%=62.8 - 97.0). Conclusion: The analysis of the nutritional profile components shows that the infected population that is admitted in the unit has an inadequate nutritional profile with alterations in the protein and body fat percentages, which may or may not be justified by the antiretroviral treatment or by the course of the disease itself.

Keywords : HIV; Nutritional assessment; Hospitalization.