CRITICAL EVALUATION OF MUSCLE MASS LOSS AS A PROGNOSTIC MARKER OF MORBIDITY IN CRITICALLY ILL PATIENTS AND METHODS FOR ITS DETERMINATION

摘要

Objective: Loss of muscle mass in critically ill patients is associated with serious consequences, such as prolonged mechanical ventilation, intensive care unit confinement, and higher mortality. Thus, monitoring muscle mass, and especially its decline, should provide a useful indicator of morbidity and mortality. Performing evaluations according only to body mass index is imperfect, therefore the aim of this article was to evaluate appropriate methods for muscle mass loss determination in ICU patients.