摘要：Malnutrition is as an important complication of chronic liver disease with prognostic implications. This study was carried out with the objectives to identify the frequency and severity of malnutrition among patients suffering from chronic liver disease and to assess relationship between malnutrition and dietary intake in these patients. A total of 231 patients (175 cirrhosis, 56 chronic hepatitis) were studied. Nutritional status was assessed by record of average daily food intake , anthropometery and serum albumin. Mean age of patients with cirrhosis and chronic hepatitis was 57 and 40 years respectively. Ninety-four percent patients had hepatitis B and/or C viral aetiology for chronic liver disease. Based on MAMC values overall 82.6% patients had mild to moderate degree of malnutrition, while 41.6% had moderate to severe malnutrition. Among patients with cirrhosis these values were 86.6% and 45.1% respectively. Corresponding values for chronic hepatitis were 69.6% and 30.3%. Record of average daily food intake showed overall daily energy intake 1102 Kcal/day. Patients with cirrhosis of liver had daily energy intake of 821 Kcal/day compared with 1980 Kcal/day for chronic hepatitis. There was statistically significant correlation (p = 0.000) between BMI and MAMC values and average daily food intake . In conclusion malnutrition is common in patients with chronic liver disease of viral aetiology and the degree of malnutrition varies according to disease severity. Careful record of average daily food intake combined with MAMC and simple laboratory parameters like serum albumin provides a reliable clinical measure of nutritional status in patients with chronic liver disease.
