[Effect of nutritional support on survival of AIDS-IV C patients]

Fifty-two patients with AIDS-IV C (opportunistic infections) received nutritional supplementation, (enteral diets or total parenteral nutrition) in 60 admission episodes. Most patients had lost more than 10% of their ideal weight; albumin serum level was inferior or equal to 3.0 g/dl at admission in 33.3% of cases, and low serum albumin had a positive correlation with mortality (p less than 0.05%). Lean body mass, indirectly evaluated by 24 hour urinary creatinine excretion was less than 30% of the ideal in 44.7% of cases, and had a positive correlation with death rate. Enteral nutrition was given in 16.7% of episodes, total parenteral nutrition in 35% and in the remaining episodes the patient received only oral supplements. Patients that received TPN spent more time in hospital than patients with enteral nutrition (23.1 more or less 21.3 days against 7.2 more or less 4.8 days). Patients with AIDS IV C are usually undernourished, have low serum albumin and important deficit of lean body mass. Weight loss and low lean body mass are associated positively with mortality. Nutritional support had no influence on mortality rate.