Clinical outcome of protein-energy malnourished patients in a Brazilian university hospital
Protein-energy malnutrition (PEM) is a treatable disease with high prevalence among hospitalized patients. It can cause significant increases in the duration of hospitalization and costs. PEM is especially important for health systems since malnourished patients present higher morbidity and mortalit...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Associação Brasileira de Divulgação Científica
2012-12-01
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| Series: | Brazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0100-879X2012001200028&lng=en&tlng=en |
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| author | T.A.S. Pasquini H.D. Neder L. Araújo-Junqueira D.A. De-Souza |
| author_facet | T.A.S. Pasquini H.D. Neder L. Araújo-Junqueira D.A. De-Souza |
| author_sort | T.A.S. Pasquini |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Protein-energy malnutrition (PEM) is a treatable disease with high prevalence among hospitalized patients. It can cause significant increases in the duration of hospitalization and costs. PEM is especially important for health systems since malnourished patients present higher morbidity and mortality. The objective of the present study was to assess the evolution of nutritional status (NS) and the effect of malnutrition on clinical outcome of patients at a public university hospital of high complexity in Brazil. Patients hospitalized in internal medicine (n = 54), oncology (n = 43), and infectious diseases (n = 12) wards were included. NS was evaluated using subjective global assessment up to 48 h after admission, and thereafter at intervals of 4-6 days. On admission, patients (n = 109) were classified as well-nourished (n = 73), moderately malnourished or at risk of malnutrition (n = 28), and severely malnourished (n = 8). During hospitalization, malnutrition developed or worsened in 11 patients. Malnutrition was included in the clinical diagnosis of only 5/36 records (13.9% of the cases, P = 0.000). Nutritional therapy was administered to only 22/36 of the malnourished patients; however, unexpectedly, 6/73 well-nourished patients also received commercial enteral diets. Complications were diagnosed in 28/36 malnourished and 9/73 well-nourished patients (P = 0.000). Death occurred in 12/36 malnourished and 3/73 well-nourished patients (P = 0.001). A total of 24/36 malnourished patients were discharged regardless of NS. In summary, malnutrition remains a real problem, often unrecognized, unappreciated, and only sporadically treated, even though its effects can be detrimental to the clinical course and prognosis of patients. The amount of public and private funds unnecessarily dispersed because of hospital malnutrition is significant. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-21T11:42:56Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f5d230fa3786447799da8f1cf74c29c7 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1414-431X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-21T11:42:56Z |
| publishDate | 2012-12-01 |
| publisher | Associação Brasileira de Divulgação Científica |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Brazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-f5d230fa3786447799da8f1cf74c29c72022-12-21T19:05:15ZengAssociação Brasileira de Divulgação CientíficaBrazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research1414-431X2012-12-0145121301130710.1590/1414-431X20122586S0100-879X2012001200028Clinical outcome of protein-energy malnourished patients in a Brazilian university hospitalT.A.S. Pasquini0H.D. Neder1L. Araújo-Junqueira2D.A. De-Souza3Universidade Federal de UberlândiaUniversidade Federal de UberlândiaUniversidade Federal de UberlândiaUniversidade Federal de UberlândiaProtein-energy malnutrition (PEM) is a treatable disease with high prevalence among hospitalized patients. It can cause significant increases in the duration of hospitalization and costs. PEM is especially important for health systems since malnourished patients present higher morbidity and mortality. The objective of the present study was to assess the evolution of nutritional status (NS) and the effect of malnutrition on clinical outcome of patients at a public university hospital of high complexity in Brazil. Patients hospitalized in internal medicine (n = 54), oncology (n = 43), and infectious diseases (n = 12) wards were included. NS was evaluated using subjective global assessment up to 48 h after admission, and thereafter at intervals of 4-6 days. On admission, patients (n = 109) were classified as well-nourished (n = 73), moderately malnourished or at risk of malnutrition (n = 28), and severely malnourished (n = 8). During hospitalization, malnutrition developed or worsened in 11 patients. Malnutrition was included in the clinical diagnosis of only 5/36 records (13.9% of the cases, P = 0.000). Nutritional therapy was administered to only 22/36 of the malnourished patients; however, unexpectedly, 6/73 well-nourished patients also received commercial enteral diets. Complications were diagnosed in 28/36 malnourished and 9/73 well-nourished patients (P = 0.000). Death occurred in 12/36 malnourished and 3/73 well-nourished patients (P = 0.001). A total of 24/36 malnourished patients were discharged regardless of NS. In summary, malnutrition remains a real problem, often unrecognized, unappreciated, and only sporadically treated, even though its effects can be detrimental to the clinical course and prognosis of patients. The amount of public and private funds unnecessarily dispersed because of hospital malnutrition is significant.http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0100-879X2012001200028&lng=en&tlng=enProtein-energy malnutritionHospital malnutritionAssessment of nutritional statusEvolution of nutritional statusNutritional therapySubjective global assessment |
| spellingShingle | T.A.S. Pasquini H.D. Neder L. Araújo-Junqueira D.A. De-Souza Clinical outcome of protein-energy malnourished patients in a Brazilian university hospital Brazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research Protein-energy malnutrition Hospital malnutrition Assessment of nutritional status Evolution of nutritional status Nutritional therapy Subjective global assessment |
| title | Clinical outcome of protein-energy malnourished patients in a Brazilian university hospital |
| title_full | Clinical outcome of protein-energy malnourished patients in a Brazilian university hospital |
| title_fullStr | Clinical outcome of protein-energy malnourished patients in a Brazilian university hospital |
| title_full_unstemmed | Clinical outcome of protein-energy malnourished patients in a Brazilian university hospital |
| title_short | Clinical outcome of protein-energy malnourished patients in a Brazilian university hospital |
| title_sort | clinical outcome of protein energy malnourished patients in a brazilian university hospital |
| topic | Protein-energy malnutrition Hospital malnutrition Assessment of nutritional status Evolution of nutritional status Nutritional therapy Subjective global assessment |
| url | http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0100-879X2012001200028&lng=en&tlng=en |
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