Assessment of Nutritional Status Using Body Composition Analysis in Cardiac Surgery and Risk Association with Acute...

Poor nutritional status prior to surgery in cardiac patients is one of the risk factors for acute kidney injury (AKI), morbidity, and mortality. There is a lack of data in patients undergoing cardiac surgery with regard to nutritional status and risk of AKI. This study was conducted with the objective of assessment of the nutritional status of cardiac surgery patients using body composition measures (BCM) and other biochemical parameters. This study was conducted at Madras Medical Mission Hospital, Chennai. Before enrolling, informed consent from the patients and ethical authorization were obtained. All patients >18 years of age undergoing cardiac surgery had a BCM analysis done on the pre- and postoperative day 5. Paired t-test was used to compare the pre- and postoperative data. Preoperative body mass index (BMI) of the patients showed that the majority of them were overweight, with a mean BMI of ±26.55 kg/m². There were no significant changes in the BCM results for protein weight in either study group (no AKI group-preop: mean ± SD, 9.0316 ± 2.39, p = 0.67; postop: mean ± SD, 9.1919 ± 2.57, p = 0.77; AKI group-preop: mean ± SD, 9.57 ± 8.00, p = 0.67; postop: mean ± SD, 9.56 ± 8.07, p = 0.77). There was a significant loss of body fat in all patients, but it was higher in patients who developed AKI (preop: mean ± SD, 33.28 ± 10.96, p = 0.11 vs postop: mean ± SD, 31.83 ± 10.94, p = 0.53). The skeletal muscle mass in both groups showed no significant changes. Those who developed AKI postoperatively had a higher preoperative visceral fat area (VFA) (mean ± SD, 116.87) and percentage body fat (PBF) (33%) compared to patients who did not develop AKI (VFA ±102.36 and PBF 30%). We found that patients had lost body fat postsurgically. Those who were diagnosed with AKI had overhydration, high waist circumference, and VFA preoperatively.