Malnutrition Among Hospitalized Adult Patients

Abstract

Hospital malnutrition, although well established, has remained underrecognized in health care settings. This study aimed at determining the prevalence and factors associated with hospital malnutrition in Lahore, Pakistan. A sample of 937 hospitalized patients was screened for malnutrition using a Subjective Global Assessment (SGA). More than half (59.4%) of the sample was found to be undernourished, of which 26.4% was severely malnourished (SGA-C). Age more than 60 years (odds ratio [OR] = 0.574, P < .05), comorbidities (OR = 1.388, P = .014), and specific disease conditions (cancer and renal diseases) (OR = 3.291; OR = 3.042, P < .05, respectively) increased the risk of undernourishment (SGA-B&C). High prevalence of disease-associated malnutrition among hospitalized patients urgently calls for preadmission screening.

Nutritional risk assessment of Critically Ill patients based on NUTRIC score at Shifa International Hospital, Islamabad

“…Biochemical variables, including albumin, Hb and Mg were found to be low, and pro-inflammatory factors, like creatinine, CRP and total bilirubin were high in the high nutritional risk group, which was consistent with a previous study 27 . These inflammatory and malnutrition biomarkers were impaired due to the raised inflammation and catabolism in critically ill patients with the progression of the disease.…”

“…Studies have reported significant association of age with nutritional status of hospitalised patients and with nutritional risk in critically ill patients 27,28 . The current study endorsed such findings.…”