Using Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis to Assess Nutrition in Head and Neck Cancer Surgery
Author Information
Author(s): Lai Yi Ting, Peh Hui Yee, Binte Abdul Kadir Hanis, Lee Chun Fan, Iyer N. Gopalakrishna, Wong Ting Hway, Tay Gerald Ci An
Primary Institution: Singapore General Hospital
Hypothesis
Can Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA) parameters correlate with Subjective Global Assessment (SGA) scores and predict perioperative complications in patients undergoing head-and-neck surgery?
Conclusion
BIA shows promise as a preoperative tool to detect malnutrition in patients undergoing surgery for head-and-neck malignancies and highlight patients at risk of developing perioperative pneumonia.
Supporting Evidence
- 40.6% of patients were well-nourished, while 53.1% were moderately malnourished.
- BIA parameters showed significant differences across SGA categories.
- BIA was predictive of perioperative pneumonia among other complications.
Takeaway
This study found that a special test called Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis can help doctors find out if patients with head and neck cancer are not getting enough nutrition before their surgery.
Methodology
Patients underwent SGA scoring and BIA preoperatively in a multidisciplinary clinic, with statistical tests used to evaluate associations.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to the subjective nature of SGA and the small sample size may affect the robustness of findings.
Limitations
The study had a small patient cohort size from a single institution and lacked long-term follow-up data.
Participant Demographics
45 males and 16 females, median age 62 years, with most diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.006 for Wellness Marker, 0.008 for phase angle
Confidence Interval
95% CI 27.3%-64.0% for phase angle sensitivity
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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