Protein malnutrition in patient in the early postoperative period after uncomplicated removal of the brain tumors

: Malnutrition leads to adverse effects and may worsen clinical outcome. Surgery as a stress factor activates pathological reactions changing metabolism structure. The aim of this study was to evaluate changes of protein metabolism in patients after elective neurosurgical operation. 24 patients were prepared for elective surgery and were enrolled in this study. Evaluation of each patient included: measurement of anthropometric indices--height, weight, arm circumference and the triceps skinfold thickness, the definition of protein loss by determining the loss of nitrogen in the urine, assessment of protein catabolism, determining the violations of nutritional status upon the base of laboratory parameters. During the course of the conducted investigation significant (p < 0.05) decrease in the indices of total protein, albumin, transferrin and the absolute numbers of lymphocytes in the postoperative period was revealed. All the patients developed severe protein catabolism. It became clear that uncomplicated elective surgical intervention, together with the adopted scheme of the nutritional therapy leads to severe protein catabolism in all patients.