title: Nutritional assessment in patients with cirrhosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Malnutrition in cirrhotic patients with end-stage disease is common, and the degree of nutritional debilitation can play an important role in the pathogenesis of complications and cause a negative impact on prognosis. However, it involves difficulties and controversies regarding the identification of the best nutritional assessment method.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To identify a method that provides a safe and effective nutritional diagnosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study with 129 cirrhotic patients. Anthropometric measurements, subjective global assessment, hand grip strength and bioelectrical impedance.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Through phase angle of bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) method, significant associations with Child-Pugh (P = 0.008), age group and gender were observed. The ROC (receiver operator characteristic) curve was generated to determine the best cutoff point of the phase angle of cirrhotic patients, serving as one of the reference parameters for the nutritional assessment with bioimpedance in this study, considering the classification through Child-Pugh score as the reference standard for the clinical conditions of patients with cirrhosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The assessment through bioelectrical impedance presented a statistically significant correlation with Child-Pugh score. The identification of phase angle of 5.44º is the new parameter suggested for the classification of the nutritional conditions of cirrhotic patients.
authors.affiliation: Postgraduate Program of Hepatology, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil. sabrinaafernandes@gmail.com
authors.forename: Sabrina Alves
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Fernandes
authors.forename: Lilian
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bassani
authors.forename: Flávia Feijó
authors.initials: FF
authors.lastname: Nunes
authors.forename: Maria Eugênia Deutrich
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Aydos
authors.forename: Alexandro Vaesken
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Alves
authors.forename: Cláudio Augusto
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Marroni
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001837:Body Weights and Measures; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D017097:Electric Impedance; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D053581:Muscle Strength Dynamometer; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012372:ROC Curve; D055815:Young Adult