ABSTRACT
Objective
The present study aimed to investigate the association of quadriceps muscle thickness, measured by ultrasound, with the nutritional status of critically ill patients in a referral high-complexity trauma care hospital.
Methods
A cross-sectional observational study was conducted in the intensive care units in a tertiary hospital in Brazil. The sample comprised 30 critically ill trauma patients admitted between February and March 2022. The methodology involved evaluating muscle mass and comparing nutritional status through mid-upper arm circumference measurements and ultrasound assessments. Specifically, the quadriceps muscle thickness was quantified using ultrasound at a predefined site between the iliac crest and the proximal border of the patella.
Results:
The Kruskal-Wallis test indicated variability in quadriceps muscle thickness between the nutritional status groups, with statistical significance reached after excluding the overweight group (H(2) = 7.532, p=0.023). The moderate malnutrition group exhibited notably lower quadriceps muscle thickness. A positive correlation was found between quadriceps muscle thickness and mid-upper arm circumference adequacy (p<0.05), demonstrating fair to moderately strong correlation (rs=0.531).
Conclusion
Significant changes in quadriceps muscle thickness were detected by ultrasound assessment in moderate malnutrition patients compared to patients of other nutritional statuses. Ultrasound may be a valuable technique for monitoring muscle integrity in critically ill patients.
Keywords
Imaging; Intensive Care Units; Malnutrition; Muscle, skeletal; Nutritional status; Quadriceps muscle; Ultrasonics