MEDICAL
Nephrology
InBody devices are non-invasive and tests are completed in less than 60 seconds. InBody data can be used to fluctuations and fine tune the process of bringing dialysis patients to the appropriate dry weight. InBody devices can also be used to determine where a patient is holding excess water and track fluid movement. This accurate, reproducible information doesn’t rely on empirical data and therefore, reflects the patient.
What is nephrology?
The field of nephrology focuses largely on body water and dialysis. Dialysis is a treatment that filters the blood of all excess fluid, toxins, and waste and is prescribed when the kidneys can no longer do those processes on their own. Dialysis treatments must be performed multiple times a week, for hours at a time, for the rest of the patient’s life.
Once a patient has been prescribed dialysis by a nephrologist, specialists must calculate how much water to remove from the body in order to achieve the patient’s dry weight. Ideally, this weight allows normal blood pressure to be maintained without using antihypertensive medication.
Why is body composition analysis an effective tool for dialysis programs?
InBody devices take the guesswork out of dialysis treatments to help identify the most effective treatment options for the patient and obtain the ideal goal weight. In 60 seconds, professionals can use the InBody to:
- Obtain objective fluid measures to guide goal weight management
- Assess muscle and fat mass to make nutritional changes
- Evaluate segmental fluid imbalances to identify circulation issues
IMPORTANCE OF FLUID BALANCE
“Overhydration as assessed by ECW/TBW is prevalent in adult PD patients, and is associated with loss of residual renal function, inflammation, malnutrition and hypertension.”
Fan et al., 2012
BENEFITS OF PHASE ANGLE
“BIA is an attractive method because it is safe, easy to use, noninvasive, and relatively low cost. BIA-derived parameters have therefore been investigated as novel nutritional markers, especially in patients with ESRD who are receiving maintenance hemodialysis.”
Shin et al, 2017
BENEFITS OF BIA WITH GOAL WEIGHT
“MF-BIA was superior…in the evaluation of body water distribution in end-stage renal disease and other clinical disorders of fluid volume and/or distribution and validation for assessment of body water in HD patients.”
Lee et al., 2001
MUSCLE-FAT ANALYSIS
Balance muscle and fat development per individual needs.
Dialysis vintage can disrupt lifestyle habits including diet and exercise, leading to malnutrition and muscle loss. Identifying changes in body composition allows dietitians and nutritionists to adjust nutrition plans and educate patients on importance of muscle and fat balance.
Restrictions to normal food intake and exercise can lead to malnutrition changes to body composition that can complicate the setting of appropriate dry weights. The InBody test tracks changes in body composition so dietitians and nutritionists can educate patients on dietary and exercise needs to promote muscle and fat maintenance. Understanding changes specific to each patient allows professionals to develop specific dietary recommendations based on individual needs.
ECW/TBW ANALYSIS
Increase success of dialysis treatment and long-term outcomes
Doctors rely on indirect measures of fluid retention to determine how much fluid to remove or when to stop dialysis treatments, often leading to intradialytic complications. Direct fluid measures increase the precision with dialytic treatments and establishment of goal weight for patients.
By understanding changes in body composition and the accumulation of fluids during the interdialytic period, physicians can determine how much water to remove and achieve an appropriate goal weight. Setting goal weights based on objective measures of body composition and fluid levels, physicians can avoid interdialytic complications such as hypo- or hypertensive episodes, increasing the success of dialysis treatments. Relieving these symptoms in patients leads to better long-term outcomes and attendance of appointments.
SEGMENTAL ECW/TBW WATER ANALYSIS
Avoid interdialytic complications from fluid accumulation
Interdialytic weight gain can be masked by the loss of muscle and fat mass. Professionals rely on the indirect practice of pitting edema to identify changes in fluid levels. Objective measures of body water help identify water retention as a form of weight change independent of changes in muscle or fat mass.
Nephrologists can use Segmental ECW/TBW Analysis to distinguish fluid accumulation from muscle and fat composition, allowing for more accurate tracking of fluid overload independent of nutritional status. This will allow physicians to set proper goal weights, confirm fluid volumes post-dialysis, and make more appropriate adjustments of patient goal weights long-term.
Why do nephrologists trust InBody?
Biometric data is gathered by InBody’s four core technologies to deliver quick, accurate and precise results. These technologies allow you to trust that the results reflect your patients’ true health from the inside out.
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