Dietary counseling by renal dietician improves the nutritional status of hemodialysis patients

KL Vijaya, Mesa Aruna, S. V. L Narayana Rao, Pathapati Rama MohanIndian Journal of Nephrology 2019 29(3):179-185 Proper nutrition may reverse the malnutrition and can modulate renal function in hemodialysis patients. In majority of the dialysis units in India, nutritional advice is given by health professionals working in dialysis. We compared the impact of dietary counseling by a renal dietitian, on nutritional status with that by health professionals working in dialysis units in patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis. Nutritional assessments were made using subjective global assessment (SGA) scale, which combines assessment of intake, physical findings, and functional status. Two hundred and seventy-seven patients undergoing hemodialysis from two renal care units in Nellore, Andhra Pradesh, South India, were enrolled (138 patients in control group, 139 in experimental group). In the experimental group, patients were given repeated dietary counseling by a renal dietician, whereas control group patients were provided with the necessary nutritional information by another health professional. Detailed nutritional, biochemical, and SGA assessment were done on all of them at the beginning and completion of study after 6 months. Patients were categorized as well-nourished (WN) (SGA = 1–14), mild to moderate malnourishment (MMM) (SGA = 15–35), and severe malnutrition (SM) (SGA = 36–49). In the present st...
Source: Indian Journal of Nephrology - Category: Urology & Nephrology Authors: Source Type: research