Use of bioelectrical impedance analysis measurements in the clinical management of malnutrition

Abstract

It is valuable to be able to measure the body composition of malnourished (undernourished) patients and to monitor their response to refeeding. The use of direct measurements, such as total body water, extracellular water, and total body potassium for clinical monitoring is expensive and cumbersome. We therefore have developed predictive equations for these variables by using fixed-frequency bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA). Our equations deliberately do not include weight because they are used to predict changes in body composition in patients who are gaining weight during refeeding. BIA could predict changes in body composition with significantly greater precision than anthropometry alone. We conclude that BIA can be used to monitor changes in body composition in patients during refeeding.