The Role of Muscle Thickness Measurement in Frailty Assessment among CKD Patients: An Integrative Review

Abstract

Background: Frailty has been generally defined in association with advanced age. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is one of the conditions that produce changes similar to aging lead to a frailty state at younger ages. Some studies have estimated frailty prevalence in hemodialysis patients between 21 up to 73% of cases. There are different measurement tools available to assess frailty in ESRD. The best measure of frailty has not yet been identified. Ultrasonography (US) has shown promise in assessing muscle size in frail older adults and in hemodialysis recipients, however consistency of BATT with different frailty measures in hemodialysis patients still under evaluated and require more investigation. Aim of the study to evaluate the application of ultrasound measurements of bilateral anterior thigh thickness (BATT) for screening of hemodialysis patients for Frailty. Conclusion: Ultrasound measurements of bilateral anterior thigh thickness (BATT) are a valuable, non-invasive tool for routine frailty screening in hemodialysis patients.