Nephrol Dial Transplant (2000) 15: 1906-1908
© 2000 European Renal Association-European Dialysis and Transplant Association
Editorial Comments
An assessment of the methods available to determine nutritional equilibrium in patients with chronic renal failure
Department of Nephrology, School of Clinical Medical Sciences, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
Assessment of status and nitrogen balance
The nutritional assessment of patients with chronic renal failure includes an assessment of body fat, fat free mass (subdivided into somatic and visceral protein) [1] and dietary intake. Figure 1
shows some of the methods that can be used to assess fat free mass and dietary intake. A few are applicable to everyday clinical practice whereas others should be seen only as research tools. Methods of dietary assessment include precise weighing, a weighed inventory, a dietary history and dietary recall [2,3]. In clinical practice a 3 day dietary history is commonly used but lacks the accuracy necessary for clinical research. Most such studies use a weighed inventory. However, with increasing complexity of dietary assessment there is a danger that patients will change their normal dietary practice to facilitate the assessment. Another method that is commonly used is to measure the urea production rate and
The concept of protein turnover
Measurement of protein turnover
Assumptions made when measuring protein turnover
Acknowledgments
Notes
References