Abstract
INTRODUCTION: The management of malnutrition plays a pivotal role in the treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis. Laboratory indices routinely examined such as monocyte-to lymphocyte ratio, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, and prognostic nutritional index may be of importance to evaluate nutrition intervention and/or overall therapy of in-patient pulmonary tuberculosis.
OBJECTIVE: This study aims to examine the effects of medical nutrition therapy on monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and prognostic nutritional index in hospitalized pulmonary tuberculosis patients
METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted on pulmonary TB patients who underwent medical nutrition therapy at Wahidin Sudirohusodo Hospital between 2018 and 2020. Data were collected and extracted from eligible subjects’ medical records for analysis
RESULTS: Out of 418 pulmonary TB patients who were institutionalized in the period, data from 133 subjects who underwent medical nutrition therapy and met inclusion criteria were extracted. All subjects were malnourished either moderately or severely based on Subjective Global Assessment. All subjects showed significant improvement in all three indices namely monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, and prognostic nutritional index at the end medical nutrition therapy. Improvement magnitude of monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio is higher if levels of average energy and protein intake are >1500 kcal and >75 gram, respectively
CONCLUSION: Medical nutrition therapy plays a crucial role in hospitalized pulmonary tuberculosis patients’ clinical improvement as shown by monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, and prognostic nutritional index.