Sarcopenia in children and adolescents with chronic liver disease / Sarcopenia em crianças e adolescentes com doença hepática crônica

Abstract Objective: To investigate the occurrence of sarcopenia in children and adolescents with chronic liver disease. Methods: A series of cases, with patients aged 6-19 years of both genders, who were treated in Liver Outpatient Clinics. Weight, height, muscle strength (assessed by manual grip strength), and muscle mass (estimated through dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry) were measured. Sarcopenia was diagnosed based on the simultaneous presence of muscle mass and muscle strength déficits, defined as the values below the mean for muscle mass and strength of the studied population, according to gender. A descriptive analysis (mean and standard deviation) was performed, and the difference of means was calculated by Student's t-test. Results: A total of 85 patients were studied, mostly females (64.7%), with a mean age of 11.7 (SD = 3.4) years. Sarcopenia was identified in 40% of the patients. Muscle strength déficit was found in 54.1% of the subjects, and 50.6% showed muscle mass déficit. The mean muscle mass for males was higher than that for females (6.07; SD = 1.22 kg/m2 vs. 5.42; SD = 1.10 kg/m2; p = 0.016). However, there was no significant difference in sex-related muscle strength (male = 0.85; SD = 0.52 kgf/kgm2 and female = 0.68; SD = 0.30 kgf/kgm2; p = 0.113). Conclusion: The research findings identified that sarcopenia is a condition found in pediatric patients treated at a public referral institution for chronic liver disease.

Resumo Objetivo: Investigar a ocorrência de sarcopenia em crianças e adolescentes com hepatopatias crônicas. Métodos: Série de casos, constituído por pacientes entre 6 e 19 anos, de ambos os sexos, acompanhados em ambulatórios de especialidade em hepatopatias. Foram feitas medidas de peso, altura, força muscular (avaliada pela força de preensão manual) e a massa muscular estimada a partir da absorciometria por dupla emissão de raios X. O diagnóstico de sarcopenia baseou-se na presença simultânea de déficit de massa muscular e de força muscular. Adotaram-se como déficit os valores abaixo da média para massa e força muscular da população estudada, segundo sexo. Realizou-se análise descritiva (média e desvio-padrão), bem como a diferença de médias com o teste do t de Student. Resultados: Foram estudados 85 pacientes, a maioria do sexo feminino (64,7%), com média de 11,7 (DP = 3,4) anos. A sarcopenia foi identificada em 40% dos pacientes, 54,1% apresentaram déficit de força muscular e 50,6% déficit de massa muscular. A média da massa muscular para o sexo masculino foi maior do que no feminino (6,07; DP = 1,22 kg/m2 vs 5,42; DP = 1,10 kg/m2; p = 0,016). No entanto, não houve diferença significante para força muscular com relação aos sexos (masculino = 0,85; DP = 0,52 kgf/kgm2 e feminino = 0,68; DP = 0,30 kgf/kgm2; p = 0,113). Conclusão: Os achados da pesquisa identificaram que a sarcopenia é uma condição presente em pacientes pediátricos atendidos em uma instituição pública de referência para doença hepática crônica.

Sarcopenia in children and adolescents with chronic liver disease.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the occurrence of sarcopenia in children and adolescents with chronic liver disease. METHODS: A series of cases, with patients aged 6-19 years of both genders, who were treated in Liver Outpatient Clinics. Weight, height, muscle strength (assessed by manual grip strength), and muscle mass (estimated through dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry) were measured. Sarcopenia was diagnosed based on the simultaneous presence of muscle mass and muscle strength déficits, defined as the values below the mean for muscle mass and strength of the studied population, according to gender. A descriptive analysis (mean and standard deviation) was performed, and the difference of means was calculated by Student's t-test. RESULTS: A total of 85 patients were studied, mostly females (64.7%), with a mean age of 11.7 (SD=3.4) years. Sarcopenia was identified in 40% of the patients. Muscle strength déficit was found in 54.1% of the subjects, and 50.6% showed muscle mass déficit. The mean muscle mass for males was higher than that for females (6.07; SD=1.22kg/m2vs. 5.42; SD=1.10kg/m2; p=0.016). However, there was no significant difference in sex-related muscle strength (male=0.85; SD=0.52kgf/kgm2 and female=0.68; SD=0.30kgf/kgm2; p=0.113). CONCLUSION: The research findings identified that sarcopenia is a condition found in pediatric patients treated at a public referral institution for chronic liver disease.

Avaliação muscular subjetiva como parâmetro complementar de diagnóstico nutricional em pacientes no pré-operatório / Subjective muscle assessment as a complementary parameter for the nutritional diagnosis in presurgical patients

OBJETIVO: Comparar a Avaliação Muscular Subjetiva com métodos objetivos de avaliação nutricional em pacientes que serão submetidos à cirurgia. MÉTODOS: Trata-se de um estudo de comparação entre métodos de avaliação nutricional, com características transversais, envolvendo dados primários em pacientes no pré-operatório. Realizaram-se medidas antropométricas, laboratoriais e a Avaliação Muscular Subjetiva para diagnóstico nutricional dos pacientes. Utilizou-se o Coeficiente de Tau-b de Kendall, adotando-se como concordância excelente entre os métodos valores maiores ou iguais a 80 por cento. RESULTADOS: Foram incluídos no protocolo 168 pacientes adultos, de ambos os sexos, com indicação de cirurgia de médio e grande porte. Para a Avaliação Muscular Subjetiva os valores observados no teste de concordância inter e intra-examinador foram 77,0 por cento e 89,0 por cento, respectivamente. Os grupamentos musculares que apresentaram maior percentual de alterações tróficas foram o temporal e masseter para ambos os sexos (feminino=53,5 por cento; masculino=82,0 por cento). Para o sexo feminino, o grau de concordância entre a Avaliação Muscular Subjetiva e os métodos objetivos foi baixo (<=51,0 por cento), exceto para albumina e músculo gastrocnêmio (83,0 por cento). Encontrou-se, para o sexo masculino, Coeficiente de Kendall com valores entre 60,0 por cento e 70,0 por cento, representando boa concordância ( > ou = 60,0 por cento e <80,0 por cento), ao comparar o índice de massa corporal e a circunferência do braço com os músculos da deambulação, da mastigação e dos interósseos. CONCLUSÃO: 1. A Avaliação Muscular Subjetiva apresentou boa reprodutibilidade diagnóstica; 2. Alterações tróficas subjetivas foram prevalentes nos músculo temporal e masseter; 3. Não foi encontrada concordância excelente entre a Avaliação Muscular Subjetiva e os métodos objetivos de avaliação nutricional para ambos os sexos, exceto entre a albumina e o músculo gastrocnêmio...

OBJECTIVE: This study will compare Subjective Muscle Assessment with objective methods of nutritional assessment in presurgical patients. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study to compare nutritional assessment methods involving primary data in presurgical patients. Anthropometric measurements, laboratory tests and Subjective Muscle Assessment were carried out to assess the subjects' nutritional status. Kendall's tau-b coefficient was employed and values equal to or above 80.0 percent were considered excellent in terms of reliability. RESULTS: The protocol included 168 adult patients of both genders who would undergo major surgery. For Subjective Muscular Assessment, inter and intra-rater reliability was shown to be 77.0 percent and 89.0 percent, respectively. The muscle groups that presented the greatest percentage of trophic changes were the temporal and the masseter for both genders (female=53.5 percent; male=82.0). For women, a low reliability rate (<=51.0 percent) was found between Subjective Muscle Assessment and the objective methods, except for albumin and the gastrocnemius muscle (83.0 percent). Kendall's coefficient for men was shown to be 60.0 percent and 70.0 percent, thus revealing good reliability ( > or = 60.0 percent and <80.0 percent) when the body mass index and the arm circumference were compared with walking, mastication and interosseous muscles. CONCLUSION: 1. Subjective Muscle Assessment showed good diagnostic reproducibility. 2. Subjective trophic changes prevailed in the temporal and masseter muscles. 3. No excellent reliability was found between Subjective Muscle Assessment and the objective methods of nutritional assessment for both genders, except for that between albumin and the gastrocnemius muscle for women.