Somatic Status of Female Patients withNutritional Disorders

Overview

The authors investigated the incidence of pathological somatic and laboratory findings ina group of 100 female patients with nutritional disorders. The subjects were in-patients at thePsychiatric Clinic of the Faculty Hospital and Medical Faculty in Bratislava. The mean age ofthe patients was 18.7 years.On admission most frequently metabolic disorders were found, haematological and endocrino-logical findings were also frequent. During hospitalisation most pathological findings arerevealed during gynaecological (29.9%), medical and surgical examination. Pathological fin-dings are encountered most frequently in patients with anorexia nervosa with bulimic e pisodes.Twenty-one % patients suffer from hypoproteinaemia. 17% from hypoglycaemia, 11% havechanges in serum cholesterol levels. Pathological liver tests were found in 32%. An electrolytedisbalance was recorded in 20% of the group.The authors discuss their findings and draw attention to their serious character.

Key words:
nutritional disorders - somatic status - metabolic disorders - anorexia - bulimia.