Relationship between preoperative nutritional status and prognosis of patients with rheumatic heart disease

Objectives:To evaluate the preoperative nutritional status of patients with rheumatic heart disease(RHD), and study the relationship between prognosis and body mass index(BMI) as well as serum albumin(Alb). Methods:120 cases of RHD patients were divided into 3 groups by BMI:group Ⅰ(malnutrition group, BMI≤ 18.5 ), group Ⅱ(well-fed group, 18.5 BMI≤25), and group Ⅲ(over nutrition group, BMI25). Also they were divided into hypoalbuminemia group(Alb≤35 g/L) and normal albumin group(Alb35 g/L) by serum albumin determination. Relationship between prognosis and BMI as well as serum albumin was observed. Results:Morbidity of malnutrition was as high as 31.3 %.Concentration of serum albumin was low in most patients. Postoperative complications occurred mainly in malnutrition and hypoalbuminemia group. Conclusions:BMI and serum albumin are related with patients' prognosis and can be used to estimate risks of operations.