[Diagnosis of malnutrition]

A diagnostic program for routine determination of the nutritional status during initial examination is presented. This program includes anthropometric methods (body weight, height, triceps skin fold, circumference of mid-arm muscle) and chemical parameters (creatinine index, albumin, prealbumin, cholesterinase). In addition, determination of the immune status through the absolute lymphocyte count in peripheral blood and intracutaneous testing with streptokinase-dornase, mumps skin test antigen and candida vaccine is recommended. This test plan allows assessment of fat stores, muscle mass, functional proteins and immune competence. The results of this study should be considered when planning adequate nutritional treatment. The results obtained for 168 patients in this test program are reported.