Nephrology · Pediatrics · 1 h ago
Nutritional assessment in children on hemodialysis compared with muscle ultrasound
A cross-sectional case-control study of 68 children with end-stage renal disease on hemodialysis and 68 healthy controls assessed nutrition using several methods. Subjective global nutritional assessment (SGNA) identified malnutrition in 85.3% of the dialysis group and agreed with quadriceps ultrasound findings better than anthropometric measures did.
- SGNA identified malnutrition in 85.3% of dialysis patients.
- Ultrasound detected low muscle mass in 73.6%.
- SGNA agreed with ultrasound better than anthropometric measures.
- Cross-sectional findings do not establish effects on clinical outcomes.
This cross-sectional case-control study at Menoufia University Hospitals in Egypt included 68 children aged 4–17 years with end-stage renal disease receiving hemodialysis and 68 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Assessments included subjective global nutritional assessment (SGNA), dietary recalls, anthropometric measures, evaluation for protein-energy wasting (PEW), and quadriceps muscle ultrasonography.
Among children receiving hemodialysis, SGNA classified 85.3% as malnourished; ultrasound indicated low muscle mass in 73.6%, and PEW was documented in 70.6%. SGNA showed statistically good agreement with ultrasound findings, whereas anthropometric parameters did not. Total energy intake at or below 34.022 kcal/kg/day discriminated low muscle mass with 93.75% sensitivity and 85.0% specificity. Energy intake was also associated with PEW and low muscle mass in regression analyses.
The findings suggest SGNA and muscle ultrasound may provide complementary information when assessing nutrition in children on hemodialysis. However, this single-centre observational study does not establish that these methods improve outcomes or that the reported energy-intake cutoff should guide care. The authors note that no single accepted gold-standard nutritional assessment exists for this population.
In practice
For children with end-stage renal disease receiving hemodialysis, this study suggests SGNA may help identify nutritional problems and correspond with quadriceps ultrasound findings, while anthropometric measures alone may not capture low muscle mass. The evidence comes from a single-centre cross-sectional study of 68 patients and does not show that using SGNA or ultrasound improves outcomes. The reported energy-intake cutoff is a study finding, not a validated clinical threshold; the results do not establish a change in assessment or treatment standards.
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Pediatric Research: Collaborative role of muscle ultrasonography and subjective global-nutritional assessment in pediatric end-stage renal disease ↗This is an automated AI-condensed summary that has not yet been reviewed by an editor. Always consult the full item at the original source.