Phase Angle and Nutritional Status Assessment in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease Undergoing Replacement Therapy at the Regional Hospital of Cuilapa, 2024

Abstract

Introduction: Phase angle is an important tool for assessing the progression of Chronic Kidney Disease and may outperform other nutritional measurements. It helps determine the patient's condition, enabling timely interventions aimed at reducing the risk of nutritional deterioration. Objective: To evaluate the contribution of combining body composition analysis through bioelectrical impedance, phase angle, and Body Mass Index in improving the classification of nutritional status in patients with Chronic Kidney Disease undergoing hemodialysis, hospitalized in the Internal Medicine and Surgery departments of the Regional Hospital of Cuilapa. Method: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted. All patients with Chronic Kidney Disease undergoing hemodialysis who were referred to the Nutrition Department during the two scheduled months were included. The operationalized variables were: bioelectrical impedance, Body Mass Index, weight, and height. A questionnaire on the requirements for performing bioimpedance, adapted to the study population, was applied. Results: 53% of underweight patients (BMI < 23 kg/m²) had phase angles between 2° and 5.2°, while 41.3% of patients with adequate BMI (23–27.5 kg/m²) had angles between 5.6° and 7°; 5.7% of overweight patients (BMI > 27.5) had a phase angle of 9.7°. Conclusions: Nutritional status assessment through bioelectrical impedance, focusing on body composition, is highly valuable for evaluating hospitalized patients with Chronic Kidney Disease on hemodialysis. The complementary use of phase angle allows for the identification of malnutrition that may be hidden due to the clinical characteristics of the patients. This approach contributes to a more complete and accurate evaluation than one based solely on BMI.