Evaluation of Clinical Usefulness of Instant Nutritional Assessment Scale for the Nutritional Status and Prognosis of Hemodialysis Patients

만성질환자의 영양상태와 예후판정에 대한 간이영양평가 도구의 유용성 평가 -혈액투석환자를 중심으로-

The prognosis of maintenance hemodialysis (HD) patients is closely related to their nutritional status. It is important to develop and use of a reliable, useful and easy method of nutritional assessment scale for evaluation of nutritional status and progression of the patients. This study was initiated to evaluate the clinical usefulness of Instant Nutritional Assessment Scale(INAS) by cross-sectional and longitudinal studies. One hundred HD patients entered a continuing nutritional study and followed for 1 year. The results were as follow ; 1. 24% of patients was normal to mild, 43% was moderate and 33% was severe deficit of nutritional status. 2. The mean INAS score of the patients was 8.00(S. D.=2.83), and there didn't reveal any differences in INAS score by general characteristics. The mean transferrin score was 1.98, whih was the highest of 5 nutirtional parameters of INAS. Only 7 patients had within nomal range of transferrin concentration. 3. Within one year since this study was initiated, 10 patients died. Six of them were with severe deficit and one of them was normal to mild deficit groups. The death rate in severe deficit group was higher than that of normal to mild deficit group (P=.0640). 4. Occurrence of acute complication during HD in severe deficit guoup was higher than that of normal to mild deficit group(P=.001). 5. The number of consultation to the doctor and hospital admission in severe deficit group was higher than that of normal to mild deficit group(P=.0001). 6. INAS score was significantly correlated with occurrence of acute complications during HD and the number of consultation to the doctor. In conclusion, INAS based on the levels of body mass index, midarm circumference, triceps skinfold thickness, transferrin concentration and total lymphocyte count seems to be a reliable predictive nutritional index for prognosis. So nurses are encouraged to adopt INAS in care of the chronically illed patients. Recommendations for further research was suggested.