Low biochemical nutritional parameters in acutely ill hospitalized elderly patients with and without stage III to IV pressure ulcers

Abstract

In this study, serum levels of biochemical nutritional parameters in acutely ill elderly patients with stage III to IV pressure ulcers are lower than those of acutely ill elderly subjects with no pressure ulcers, indicating a worse nutritional status of the PU patients. These findings, while not documenting a causal relationship, suggest the need for routine nutritional assessment and support in older patients, especially those with pressure ulcers.

No correlation between Mini-Nutritional Assessment (short form) scale and clinical outcomes in 73 elderly patients admitted for hip fracture

“…This study confirms that low serum albumin is a risk factor for the development of pressure ulcers among hospitalized patients (33,34). However, the MNA-SF cannot detect hip-fractured patients at this risk.…”

Resting Energy Expenditure and Body Composition in Bedridden Institutionalized Elderly Women With Advanced-Stage Pressure Sores

“…The low serum proteins in our patients, already found in previous studies (39), could be both a cause and an effect of their PS. Previous studies showed that PS develop particularly in people with albumin values below 30 g/dL (40), but visceral proteins might also drop further after the onset of PS due to exudates from the wound (41) and an increased protein catabolism (42).…”

Zinc in wound healing: Theoretical, experimental, and clinical aspects

“…Normal serum zinc is considered to be in the range 10–18 μmol/L, with higher levels in men than in women 33 but variations in published figures may be due to the accuracy of analytical methods used and circadian rhythms of zinc levels 48 . A serum zinc level below 9 μmol/L is biochemically defined as zinc deficiency 49 but malignancies, hyperactivity, 50 stress, trauma, active tuberculosis, skin diseases, chronic wounds, 51–53 chronic renal insufficiency, uremia, 54 and nephrotic syndrome are predictable causes of hypozincemia. Lower than normal serum zinc in pregnant women is presumably a result of transplacental transfer of zinc from mother to fetus 55 …”