Assessment of malnutrition in patients with chronic kidney disease undergoing hemodialysis

Abstract

Background Malnutrition is the utmost predominant problem that arises in patients undergoing hemodialysis. Muscle wasting arises as a prevailing case, and so, it acts as a crucial indicator of morbidity and mortality in hemodialysis patients. Patients and methods This study encompasses 175 participants for a period of 6 months. Graded questionnaires and clinical findings were used to assess nutritional status. Results The mean age was 49.26±13.35 years, and 73% were males. Mean serum albumin and hemoglobin levels were 2.78±0.75 and 9.01±1.60 g/dl, respectively. According to the National Kidney Foundation, 49.71% of participants were malnourished whose BMI was less than 20. The results of mini-nutritional assessment scores revealed that a greater number of patients were at risk of malnutrition (56.5%) and subjective global assessment scores showed a moderate risk (63.4%). On assessing the clinical findings, 96% were anemic, 90.2% were fatigue, 62.8% complained of headache, and 69.1% had anorexia. Conclusion It is necessary to have the right amount of nutrition each day as it boosts the quality of life and further research should pinpoint the management strategies to control malnutrition in patients with chronic kidney disease.