Introduction: Obstructive jaundice is often accompanied by protein-caloric malnutrition. The objective of the present study is to analyze the incidence and the degree of alterations in the food ingestion of patients with obstructive jaundice.
Material and methods: In a prospective, cross-sectional study 50 patients with obstructive jaundice (19 benign and 31 malignant) were evaluated. The anorexia was evaluated using Welch's test (subjective evaluation) and by means of quantifying the caloric ingestion. An anthropometric parameter (ideal weigh < 95%) and two biochemical ones (albumin < 3.5 g/dl and pre-albumin < 17 mg/dl) were used to define the degree of malnutrition.
Results: 96% of the patients presented alterations in the Welch test and in 72% of the patients the caloric ingestion was below the estimated needs. Overall, the ingestion of food was reduced by 76.3 +/- 30% of the estimated needs (84.7 +/- 28% in the benign cases and 70.9 +/- 32% in the malignant cases). Both the Welch test (r = 0.59; p = 0.01) and the caloric ingestion (r = 0.53; p < 0.001) were inversely correlated with the serum bilirubin. In patients with malnutrition criteria, the caloric ingestion was reduced by 30% against the 12% reduction in the non-malnourished patients (p < 0.05). There was a direct correlation between the two methods used in the assessment of the anorexia (r = 0.71; p < 0.001).
Conclusions: Obstructive jaundice is associated with an important reduction in the caloric ingestion, and this is manifested in both biliary obstructions of a benign origin, and in those of neoplasic origins.