Comparação de diferentes instrumentos de triagem e diagnóstico nutricional aplicados a pacientes oncológicos admitidos em um hospital terciário do Distrito Federal

Abstract

Malnutrition is a frequent clinical condition in cancer patients, being associated with a worse prognosis, lower response to treatment and decreased quality of life. The prevalence of malnutrition in cancer patients can range from 20% to 80%, being more prevalent in the elderly and those in more advanced stages of the disease. In this scenario, early identification of nutritional risk through screening instruments and assessment of nutritional status are essential for adequate nutritional intervention and improvement of clinical outcomes. The present study aimed to compare different nutritional screening and diagnostic instruments in cancer patients admitted to a tertiary hospital in the Federal District. The research is a cross-sectional, observational, analytical study with a quantitative approach. A total of 54 cancer patients admitted to a specialized oncology unit were evaluated, using the NRS-2002 and GMS nutritional screening instruments, and the AND-ASPEN and GLIM nutritional diagnostic criteria. Anthropometric data, type of cancer, risk classification scores, and nutritional diagnosis were collected, and descriptive statistical analysis, ordinal logistic regression, and correlation between the data from the instruments were subsequently performed. Of the 54 patients, 51.85% were male, with a median age of 54 years. The most prevalent types of cancer were gastric (17%), head and neck (13%) and breast (11%). The NRS-2002 classified 79.63% of the patients as nutritional risk and the GMS 88.89%. According to the AND-ASPEN criteria, 59.25% had some degree of malnutrition, and 42.59% had severe malnutrition related to chronic disease. According to the GLIM criteria, 61.11% were malnourished, and 37.03% had severe malnutrition related to chronic disease with inflammation. Finally, we conclude that there was a high prevalence of nutritional risk and malnutrition in the cancer patients evaluated. The GMS and NRS-2002 instruments showed good ability to identify nutritional risk. The AND-ASPEN and GLIM criteria were similar in the diagnosis of malnutrition, with a predominance of severe malnutrition related to chronic disease. The study reinforces the importance of early nutritional screening and assessment in cancer patients for appropriate intervention.