ULTRASOUND EXAMINATION OF THE THIGH MUSCLES AS A PREDICTOR OF SARCOPENIA AND MALNUTRITION RISK IN CRITICALLY ILL PATIENTS

Sarcopenia, or a syndrome designated by the term "intensive care unit (ICU)-acquired weakness", is observed in 70% of patients in ICU. This syndrome aggravates the severity of underlying disease, increases the duration of hospital stay and worsens the outcomes. Ultrasound methods can play an important role in the timely diagnosis of this condition. Objective. To assess the possibilities of ultrasound in monitoring the degree of sarcopenia and assessing the risk of malnutrition in ICU patients. Material and methods. The study included 20 patients. The cross-sectional area of the rectus femoris muscle (CSARFM) was used as a criterion for ultrasound examination. The correlation of the CSARFM with various biochemical and clinical markers of sarcopenia and nutritional deficiency was investigated, and a binary logistic regression analysis of the relationship between the CSARFM and the risk of nutritional deficiency defined by the NUTRIC scale was performed. Results. A negative correlation was found between the CSARFM and the SOFA, APACHEII, NUTRIC, CFS scales, as well as the age of patients. A high prognostic value of the CSARFM in predicting nutritional deficiency according to the criteria of the NUTRIC scale was revealed (the area under the ROC curve was 0.800 (95% CI: 0.605–0.995; p=0.0495). Conclusions. The ultrasound investigation of the CSARFM can be used as a screening method to monitor the degree of sarcopenia and malnutrition risks, and be integrated into a comprehensive assessment of the nutritional status of patients in the intensive care unit.