Introduction:

The loss of muscle mass is becoming a very common problem among critically ill patients and it’s also strongly related to their prognosis and quality of life after lea-ving the intensive care unit. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the loss of muscle mass in the first five days, since the patient is admitted to the intensive care unit, and if there is a relationship between this muscle wasting and the nutritional support provided to patients.

Methods:

This prospective observational study enrolled adult patients admitted in the intensive care unit between January and March 2020. On the day of admission and on the fifth day of follow-up, an ultrasound evaluation of the thickness of the biceps brachii and quadriceps femoris was performed. During the five-day period we also analyzed the energy and protein support that was provided to the patients.

Results:

Thirty five patients were enrolled in this study with a mean age of 64±15, mostly male gender (62.9%). There was a loss of 1.77 mm in the thickness of the biceps brachii and 2.19 mm in the quadriceps femoris. We observed that the patients received an estimated daily nutritional support that corresponds to 20.0% of their energy and 24.9% of their protein needs.

Conclusion:

It is feasible to objectively and non-invasively evaluate the muscle mass in critically ill patients and there was a significant decrease in muscle mass in the first days after admission. The nutritional support provided was significantly lower than recommended.

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