Anthropometric parameters as a predictor for abdominal wall thickness in a patient with gastrostomy

Abstract

Background Enteral feeding tubes play essential roles in clinical management and nutritional support. Knowledge of the abdominal wall is beneficial in surgical practice and safe for gastrostomy. Anthropometric parameters are currently used for clinical assessment in many clinical applications. That might be beneficial if we applied anthropometric measurement for thickness prediction of the abdominal wall to the schedule of patients’ gastrostomy care. This study aimed to evaluate the anthropometric parameters of abdominal wall thickness (AWT). Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study with anthropometric parameters and CT-measured anterior AWT were assessed and analyzed. Results The data are collected from January 2020 to March 2021. Arm circumference and body mass index were strongly correlated with AWT at left upper quadrant area and anterior AWT at middle area. The data was created in an TAWT (Thammasat AWT) chart to represent body parameters to AWT. Conclusions Arm circumference is related to AWT. A TAWT chart is designed to help medical personnel evaluate the thickness of the abdominal wall and could guide estimating the gastrostomy tube length.