Caloric and protein intake in different periods of hospitalization of patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the nutritional status and caloric and protein intake during the hospitalization of patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. METHODS: A retrospective study was performed based on clinical and nutritional data of patients undergoing autologous and allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation from March 2015 to March 2017. The mean caloric and protein intake were evaluated in three different intervals (P1: from admission to the day before transplantation, P2: from the transplantation day to the day before engraftment, P3: from the engraftment day to the day of hospital discharge). Body mass index, weight loss, gastrointestinal symptoms and use of nutritional therapy were also evaluated. RESULTS: Thirty-five patients were included in this study (25 autologous and ten allogeneic). The majority (62.6%) were overweight at admission. The median and percentage weight loss were 3.2 kg and 4.6%, respectively. A nutritional supplement was provided to 33 patients for a median of nine days. The most prevalent gastrointestinal symptoms were nausea (91.4%), vomiting (88.6%) and diarrhea (80%). The mean caloric and protein intake and adequacy of patients were 1569.0 ± 443.3 Kcal (73.6 ± 22.1%) and 66 ± 22.8 g (61.9 ± 20%), respectively. The allogeneic group presented lower intake and caloric and protein adequacy throughout hospitalization, in particular in P2, compared to the autologous patients. CONCLUSION: The patients presented deterioration of nutritional status during hospitalization with the reduction in food intake being greater in patients submitted to allogeneic transplantation.