Body mass index as discriminator of the lean mass deficit and excess body fat in institutionalized elderly people.

The objective of this study was to identify the discriminating criterion for body mass index (BMI) in the prediction of low fat free mass and high body fat percentage according to sex among older people. Observational analytical study with cross-sectional design was used for this study. All institutionalized older people from the city of Uberaba (Minas Gerais, Brazil) who fit within the inclusion and exclusion criteria were approached. Sixty-five institutionalized older people were evaluated after signing a Free and Informed Consent Form. Descriptive and inferential statistical procedures were employed for the analysis, using Student's t-test and multiple linear regression. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves were constructed to determine the BMI (kg/m(2)) cut-off points. The study complied with all the ethical norms for research involving human beings. In comparing the anthropometric measurements obtained via bioimpedance, elder male had higher mean height and body water volume than females. However, women had higher mean triceps skinfold and fat free mass than men. The BMI cut-off points, as discriminators of low fat free mass percentage and high body fat percentage in women, were ≤22.4 kg/m(2) and >26.6 kg/m(2), respectively; while for men they were ≤19.2 kg/m(2) and >23.8 kg/m(2). The results of this study indicate the need for multicenter studies aimed at suggesting BMI cut-off points for institutionalized older people, taking into account specific sex characteristics.

Redução transitória nos níveis séricos de retinol em crianças com pneumonia e resposta de fase aguda / Transient decreased retinol serum levels in children with pneumonia and acute phase response

OBJETIVO: Comparar os níveis séricos de retinol em crianças pré-escolares durante um episódio de pneumonia e 45 dias após a resolução da infecção. MÉTODOS: O estudo foi conduzido com crianças pré-escolares sem infecção (grupo controle, n = 9) ou com pneumonia (n = 12), após a hospitalização (fase 1) e 45 dias após a alta (fase 2). A avaliação nutricional incluiu antropometria, questionário alimentar e exames laboratoriais, incluindo os níveis urinários e séricos de retinol. Aplicou-se o teste pareado de Student ou de Mann-Whitney. RESULTADOS: Não houve diferença na ingestão alimentar. Documentaram-se menores valores de hemoglobina sanguínea e dos níveis séricos de sódio e albumina durante a fase 1, além de maiores valores da proteína C reativa. Não houve mudança no retinol urinário, enquanto os níveis séricos aumentaram após a recuperação da pneumonia. CONCLUSÕES: Durante a pneumonia, as crianças apresentam redução transitória nos níveis séricos de vitamina A, um epifenômeno da resposta de fase aguda.

OBJECTIVE: To compare serum retinol levels in preschool children during an episode of pneumonia and 45 days after the resolution of the infection. METHODS: The study was conducted with preschool children without any infection (control group, n = 9) or children hospitalized for pneumonia (n = 12), who were evaluated soon after hospitalization (phase 1) and 45 days later (phase 2). Nutritional assessment included anthropometric measurements, a food questionnaire, and laboratory blood routine examination, including urinary and serum retinol levels. Paired Student t or Mann-Whitney tests were used as required. RESULTS: Food intake was similar between groups. Blood hemoglobin and serum sodium and albumin decreased during phase 1, while there were higher C-reactive protein serum values. Urinary retinol levels remained unchanged whereas serum retinol increased significantly after pneumonia recovery. CONCLUSIONS: During the course of pneumonia, children had transient decrease in serum levels of vitamin A, an epiphenomenon of the acute phase response.

Transient decreased retinol serum levels in children with pneumonia and acute phase response.

OBJECTIVE: To compare serum retinol levels in preschool children during an episode of pneumonia and 45 days after the resolution of the infection. METHODS: The study was conducted with preschool children without any infection (control group, n = 9) or children hospitalized for pneumonia (n = 12), who were evaluated soon after hospitalization (phase 1) and 45 days later (phase 2). Nutritional assessment included anthropometric measurements, a food questionnaire, and laboratory blood routine examination, including urinary and serum retinol levels. Paired Student t or Mann-Whitney tests were used as required. RESULTS: Food intake was similar between groups. Blood hemoglobin and serum sodium and albumin decreased during phase 1, while there were higher C-reactive protein serum values. Urinary retinol levels remained unchanged whereas serum retinol increased significantly after pneumonia recovery. CONCLUSIONS: During the course of pneumonia, children had transient decrease in serum levels of vitamin A, an epiphenomenon of the acute phase response.

Dez anos de experiencia em nutriçäo enteral monomerica / Monomeric enteral diet, a ten years follow up

O presente trabalho é uma analise retrospectiva de 218 casos de nutriçäo enteral monomérica realizada em pacientes de diversas enfermarias do Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeiräo Preto no período de 1979 a 1988. A duraçäo média desse suporte nutricional foi de 24 dias, a média de idade dos pacientes de 47,6 anos sendo 77,5% do sexo masculino. Os diagnosticos mais comuns foram desnutriçäo por neoplasias, doenças intestinais inflamatorios, sindrome do intestino curto e pore alcoolismo. Houve ganho de peso em 67, 1% dos casos. Apos o uso da nutriçäo enteral monomerica, os valores de proteínas totais e albumina foram maiores que os iniciais, sendo que essa diferença foi mais acentuada naqueles pacientes que receberam a nutriçäo enteral por um período de tempo maior. As complicaçöes metabolicas foram as mais frequentes, no entanto apresentaram intensidade suficiente para interromper o suporte nutricional. A nutriçäo enteral monomerica, alem das facilidades na sua manipulaçäo e comntrole adequadoda oferta dos diferentes nutrientes, representou uma terapeutica dos pacientes que necessitam de suporte nutricional