Predictors of postoperative complications, prolonged length of hospital stay, and short-term mortality in elderly patients with malignant head and neck neoplasm.

Purpose: To identify and assess predictors of short-term outcomes and a prolonged length of hospital stay after head and neck cancer surgery in older-old and oldest-old patients.

Procedures: Patients aged ≥75 years with head and neck cancer undergoing surgery at the Brazilian National Cancer Institute from January to December 2011 were assessed regarding postoperative complications, mortality, and length of hospital stay.

Results: Over the study period, 67 patients with head and neck cancer underwent surgery, 44.

Adductor pollicis muscle: a new anthropometric parameter.

Purpose: To measure the thickness of adductor pollicis muscle in healthy adults. This measurement will be used as a nutritional anthropometric parameter in further studies.

Subjects And Method: Four hundred and twenty-one healthy adults were studied, 209 men and 212 women, with ages ranging from 18 to 87 years, living in Rio de Janeiro.

The thickness of the adductor pollicis muscle reflects the muscle compartment and may be used as a new anthropometric parameter for nutritional assessment.

Purpose Of Review: Contraction of the adductor pollicis muscle after electrical stimulation (electromyogram) or dynamometry (hand-grip tests) has been evaluated in a variety of clinical conditions as a parameter to assess nutritional status. However, adductor pollicis muscle thickness has not been investigated as an anthropometric parameter.

Recent Findings: Prolonged immobilization and non-use of lower and upper limb muscles causes atrophy.