Nutritional Indicators of Malnutrition in Hospitalized Patients

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Malnutrition is associated with clinical factors, including longer hospital stay, increased morbidity and mortality and hospital costs. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence of malnutrition using different nutritional indicators and to identify factors that contribute to malnutrition in hospitalized patients. METHODS: We investigated anthropometric, laboratory standards, nutritional risk screening (NRS), subjective global assessment (SGA), mini nutritional assessment and habitual energy consumption (HEC). Chi-square, Fisher’s exact test, Mann-Whitney test and univariate and multiple Cox regression analysis were used, at 5% significance level. RESULTS: It was found 21.01% of malnourished individuals by ASG; a total of 34.78% with nutritional risk according to NRS and 11.59% with low weight (BMI). There was no statistically significant difference in the prevalence of malnutrition by ASG (P=0.3344) and nutritional risk by NRS (P=0.2286), among the types of disorders. Patients with nutritional risk were of higher median age (64.5 vs 58.0 years; P=0.0246) and had lower median values of HEC (1362.1 kcal vs 1525 kcal, P=0.0030), of calf circumference (32.0 cm vs 33.5 cm, P=0.0405) of lymphocyte count (1176.5 cell/mm3 vs 1760.5 cell/ mm3, P=0.0095); and higher percentage of low body weight according to the BMI (22.9% vs 5.6%; P=0.0096). Lymphocyte count was associated with nutritional risk (P=0.0414; HR= 1.000; IC95%= 0.999; 1.000). CONCLUSION: NRS was more sensitive than other indicators in the diagnosis of malnutrition. Patients at risk were older and had lower HEC values, calf circumference, BMI and lymphocyte count. Low lymphocyte count was considered a factor associated with nutritional risk by the NRS.

Prevalence and characteristics of starvation‐related malnutrition in a mid‐Atlantic healthcare system: A cohort study

“…Although there are limits to the use of BMI as an indicator of malnutrition, 27 BMI may be an effective indicator of nutrition status in patients with SRM, given the high prevalence of BMI‐defined underweight in our study. This finding is consistent with a 2019 study in elderly inpatients that reported an association between low weight by BMI and nutrition risk by the Nutrition Risk Screening 2002 tool 28 …”

“…This finding is consistent with a 2019 study in elderly inpatients that reported an association between low weight by BMI and nutrition risk by the Nutrition Risk Screening 2002 tool. 28 More than half of the patients with SRM had a history of substance abuse. Prevalence of substance abuse was 57.1% in the patients with SRM that were not readmitted and 87.5% in those who were readmitted, whereas the 2018 US adult population estimate for illicit drug abuse was only 3%.…”

<p>The Relationship of Lymphocyte to High-Density Lipoprotein Ratio with Pulmonary Function in COPD</p>

“…1 Besides, malnutrition could also be responsible. Low lymphocyte counts qualify as a factor associated with nutritional risk 21 whilst COPD severity is positively correlated with malnutrition. 22 A vicious circle produced by neurohumoral activation and the immune…”

Risk factors for malnutrition among hospitalized gastroenterological patients

“…14,19,20 The result of our study could be explained by the higher prevalence of malignancies among men and greater weight loss in men than in women during hospitalization. Although malnutrition often accompanies older age, and older patients are at increased risk for malnutrition at both, admission and discharge, 8,[21][22][23] in our patients average age was similar for malnourished and non-malnourished patients at discharge. In the study of Kang, malnutrition was higher in the patients over 70 years, while Zhu showed that malnutrition at discharge was significantly higher at age 65 and older.…”