Nutritional assessment of patients in a large Saudi dialysis center

To examine interventions used to manage malnutrition, and obesity, and to share experiences, concerns, and solutions to these problems for management of nutritional disorders in Saudi patients on maintenance hemodialysis.

The subjects included in this cross-sectional study were chronic hemodialysis patients in the Prince Salman Center for Kidney Diseases (PSCKD), Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia during the period from September 2007 to September 2008. Medical history, examination, baseline laboratory tests, and the nutritional status was assessed using the subjective global assessment score (SGA).

Subjects in the study had a mean age of 50+/-16 years, 108 (54%) were males and 92 (46%) were females with a mean single pooled Kt/v of 1.4+/-0.15, and a mean normalized protein catabolic ratio of 1.130.2. Regarding body mass index, 4% of patients were underweight, 49% had average weight, 27.5% were overweight, 14% were obese, and 5.5% had morbid obesity. The SGA classified patients into 68% normal, 24% mild to moderately malnourished, and 8% with severe malnutrition.

Using different parameters for individualization of metabolic needs to each patient's own metabolic status, and for detection of the coexisting nutritional conditions is essential for optimal care for hemodialysis patients.