[Nutritional support in bone marrow transplantation]

Bone marrow transplant (BMT) implies the treatment with substances which may compromise the nutritional condition, thus increasing the morbido-mortality of these patients. The objective of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of the nutritional support (NS) protocol for patients subjected to a BMT in our center.

55 patients were included (24 men and 31 women), who were subjected to BMT during 1994, with prior chemotherapy depending on the underlying disease. The nutritional condition (NC) was evaluated upon initiation and at the end of the NS, using anthropometric, biochemical, and immunological parameters. The NS was given by total parenteral nutrition (TPN), adapted to the needs, as of the second post-transplant day, until such time that oral nutrition was sufficient to supply the nutritional needs of the patients; oral ingestion was permitted at all times, according to the possibilities of the patient. For the statistical analysis, we used the Student's t test, Pearson's Chi squared test, and Spearman's test, with differences being considered significant for values < 0.05.

The average duration of the TPN was 16 +/- 6 days, with a significantly longer time (p < 0.05) in patients with leukemia. The NC assessment was no different at the beginning and at the end of the NS, although all groups show a drop in the albumin levels at the end with respect to those at the beginning, with this being statistically significant in patients with leukemia (p < 0.05), and with solid tumors (p < 0.01), 14.5% of the patients maintained an acceptable oral ingestion (with 75% having lymphomas), and 34.5% did not show any associated oral ingestion. Te better albumin maintenance was correlated with acceptable oral ingestion (p < 0.05).

Nutritional support of patients subjected to a BMT is effective for maintaining their NC levels. The longest duration of the TPN, the lowest frequency of associated oral ingestion, and the greatest decrease of the serum albumin, levels are seen in those cases which had the most aggressive chemotherapy prior to the BMT, which requires adaptation of the NS in function of the underlying disease. The association of oral ingestion may be beneficial due to its effect on the gastrointestinal tract.