Abstract
Although malnutrition in older persons is a common, potentially treatable condition, few data indicate that treatments for this disorder can be effective. To develop and preliminarily evaluate a two-component intervention that includes a nurse-administered, in-home assessment to identify potentially remediable causes of hypoalbuminemia and protocols to treat these problems. A pre-test post-test case-series. An academic geriatrics practice. Seventeen persons aged 65 and older with serum albumin levels < or = 3.8 g/dL; eight of the participants received pre-and post-test outcome measures. Nurse-administered standardized assessment and intervention protocols. Serum albumin, Medical Outcome Study (MOS) SF-36, serum IL-1a and b, TNF alpha, IL-6, and lymphocyte markers of immune function. The assessment took 87 minutes, on average, and generated a mean 4.2 recommendations. Among the eight subjects with pre- and post-test measures, serum albumin increased by 0.2 g/dL (P = .035). Compared with baseline, two T cell markers of immune function demonstrated changes consistent with better function. These preliminary data support the potential benefit of a nurse-administered assessment coupled with protocols to address remediable contributors to hypoalbuminemia.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
