The relative role of serum albumin and urinary creatinine as biochemical indices for Nigerians with pulmonary tuberculosis

Abstract

Objective: The objective is to evaluate roles of urinary creatinine and serum albumin as biochemical markers for monitoring the nutritional status of pulmonary tuerculosis patients during treatment. Design: This was a longitudinal study. Each patient was studied for six months. Settings: This study was carried out at University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital. Subjects: Forty-five newly diagnosed patients with pulmonary tuberculosis were used for the study. Intervention (Method): Forty-five newly diagnosed pulmonary tuberculosis patients were placed on six months short course regimen. Their weight, Body mass index, serum albumin and 24-hour urinary creatinine were determined before treatment, at the end of the 1st, 2nd, 4th and 6th month of treatment. Using ANOVA, the mean values of the weight, BIM and serum albumin were analysed with further analysis paired student T- test of the pre-treatment values with end of 6th month values. Main outcome measured: Their weight, body mass index, serum Albumin and 24-hour urinary creatinine were determined. Results: Thirty-one patients with mean age of 36.8 years completed the study. The pretreatment mean weight, body mass index, serum albumin were 49.53kg, 17.72kg/m2 and 26.7g/L respectively. The corresponding values at the end of the sixth month of treatment were 57.03kg. 20.4kgm2 and 39.97g/L. These three variables showed significant upward improvements. Conclusion: Both the body mass index and serum Albumin pretreatment values showed that the patients were malnourished at presentation. Serum albumin being more sensitive and more reliable than both weight and body mass index as revealed by this recommended as index for nutritional assessment in patient with tuberculosis.


(Af. J. of Clinical and Experimental Microbiology: 2003 4(1): 72-77)