Feasibility of Application of Nutritional Ultrasound in the Diagnosis and Follow-up of Patients With Nutritional Risk at Hospital Discharge: Study on Body Composition and Function: DRECO Study

Disease-related malnutrition (DRM) can occur when there is a deficient supply of energy, protein and/or other nutrients, depending on the nutritional needs of each individual at different times of their life cycle or health or disease circumstances. This deficiency induces effects on body composition and tissue and organ function and results in clinical consequences: increased morbidity and mortality associated with different disease processes.

There are techniques for nutritional assessment using assessment tools aimed at morphofunctional diagnosis of malnutrition, in addition to the classical nutritional parameters, such as weight loss, BMI, folds, circumferences, albumin, lymphocytes, cholesterol and intake. New advanced parameters are being incorporated into clinical nutrition and their incorporation into clinical practice is of increasing interest, such as measures derived from bioelectrical impedance (BIA) and phase angle (PhA), dynamometry, functional tests, CRP/prealbumin ratio and muscle ultrasound.

In 2019, the GLIM criteria were published, providing a different vision of how to assess the malnourished patient. Phenotypic criteria include reduction in muscle mass (measured using validated techniques to measure body composition).

The objective of the study is to highlight nutritional ultrasound for measuring muscle and functional status in order to make a more accurate diagnosis and a better prediction of complications and morbidity and mortality in this type of patients.