[Function of respiratory muscles in malnutrition and in the critically ill patient]

Association of Cholinesterase With Postoperative Pneumonia After Gastrectomy for Gastric Cancer

INTRODUCTION

Cholinesterase is a classical marker that reflects nutritional and inflammatory status. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the association between serum cholinesterase levels and postoperative infectious complications in patients undergoing gastrectomy for gastric cancer.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This retrospective study comprised 108 patients who underwent gastrectomy for gastric cancer. We comprehensively investigated the association between clinicopathological variables and postoperative infectious complications after gastrectomy. Then patients were divided into the cholinesterase-high and -low groups to analyze their clinicopathological variables. Finally, we analyzed the types of infectious complications that were most associated with preoperative serum cholinesterase levels.

RESULTS

Twenty-six patients (24%) developed postoperative infectious complications. Multivariate analysis revealed that serum cholinesterase levels (P = 0.026) and N stage (P = 0.009) were independent risk factors for postoperative infectious complications. In particular, the incidence of pneumonia (P = 0.001) was significantly higher in the cholinesterase-low group. Age (P = 0.023), cerebrovascular comorbidities (P = 0.006), serum cholinesterase levels (P = 0.013), and total gastrectomy (P = 0.017) were identified as independent risk factors for postoperative pneumonia.

CONCLUSIONS

Preoperative serum cholinesterase levels were associated with postoperative pneumonia after gastrectomy for gastric cancer, suggesting the importance of preoperative nutritional assessment in gastric cancer surgery.

Relação do estado nutricional e dependência de ventilação mecânica em pacientes críticos oncológicos

O estado de má nutrição está ligado com a perda de massa muscular que, por sua vez, pode ser responsável pelo mal prognóstico de pacientes internados em unidade de terapia intensiva (UTI). A relação entre câncer e estado nutricional tem sido amplamente estudada. No entanto, a relação entre estado nutricional e tempo de permanência em ventilação mecânica invasiva (VMI) em pacientes oncológicos ainda não está totalmente esclarecida. O objetivo do estudo foi verificar a relação do estado nutricional dos pacientes oncológicos em UTI com o tempo de permanência em VMI. Participaram do estudo 57 pacientes que estiveram internados na UTI do Hospital Erasto Gaertner e necessitaram de suporte ventilatório invasivo por no mínimo 48 horas. Foram coletados dados referentes ao gênero, à idade, ao índice de massa corporal (IMC), à localização topográfica do câncer, ao estádio clínico (EC) da doença, ao exame anatomopatológico (AP), ao tratamento realizado, ao motivo de internamento na UTI e ao APACHE II. O diagnóstico de desnutrição encontrado foi de 22,81%, 50,88% eram eutróficos, 14,04% tinham sobrepeso e 12,28% eram obesos. O escore de APACHE II obteve média de 26,4 pontos e taxa prevista de mortalidade de 60%. A média geral de tempo sob VMI foi de 11,2 dias. A correlação entre índice de massa corporal e tempo de permanência sob VMI foi de r=0,076 e p=0,575. Concluímos que a maior parte dos pacientes possui classificação nutricional de eutrofia e tempo de permanência sob VMI elevado. Ainda, o estado nutricional avaliado isoladamente não está relacionado com o tempo de permanência em VMI.

Nutritional status and eating disorders: neglected risks factor for nontuberculous mycobacterial lung disease?

Nontuberculous mycobacterial lung disease (NTMLD) in immunocompetent patients is an increasingly important epidemiologic concern. However, risk factors associated with susceptibility to NTMLD are not completely known. A prevalence of NTMLD appears to be rising, mainly in some populations such as middle-aged or elderly thin women, (a group including those with Lady Windermere syndrome) with neither remarkable history of respiratory disease nor smoking habit. Right middle lobe (RML) and lingula are often involved. Various predisposing factors and genetic defects have been described as possible causes of development of NTMLD, namely: voluntary suppression of cough, RML anatomical factors, menopause and mutations in cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR). Malnutrition is also an important and common risk factor associated with other mycobacterial disease like tuberculosis (TB) and its probable association with NTMLD as have been pointed out for some authors. However, a real description of all nutritional aspects and eating habits of patients prior to NTMLD diagnosis is lacking. We hypothesized that malnutrition and eating disorders like anorexia nervosa could be risk factors that may promoting NTMLD. From a clinical viewpoint, if this hypothesis proves to be correct, eating habits and nutritional aspects should be taken into account in the diagnosis process of suspected NTMLD, since they are easily identifiable and treatable conditions.