2013 Volume 28 Issue 3 Pages 827-832
Background:It was reported in the 1990s that approximately 20% of pulmonary tuberculosis patients had malnutrition. However, nutritional status of pulmonary tuberculosis patients in recent years has not been investigated. Because medical fees related to nutrition do not apply to pulmonary tuberculosis in Japan, the status of nutritional management of these patients is unclear. In the present study, we aimed to elucidate the nutritional state and method of nutritional support among pulmonary tuberculosis patients.
Patients and Methods:The nutritional state, dietary intake, and method of nutritional support on admission were investigated for a total of 374 pulmonary tuberculosis patients at the National Hospital Organization Kinki-Chuo Chest Medical Center.
Results:Serum albumin on admission was <3.5 g/dL in 38% of patients and <3.0 g/dL in 20% of patients. Patients with serum albumin levels <3.0 g/dL also had low values for other nutritional indicators. In addition, patients met 50% of the dietary reference values for Japanese people, and patenteral nutrition was performed in 53% of patients. Although 20 years have passed since the aforementioned report, and despite the spread of nutritional support teams (NST), the proportion of pulmonary tuberculosis patients with malnutrition has not changed.
Conclusion:These findings indicate that nutritional screening and management have not been adequate, and that tuberculosis patients require nutritional support.
