The associations between drug use, indicators of nutritional status and vitamin d levels, a cross-sectional analysis of a polypharmaceutical geriatric outpatient population

Abstract

for all meals for 3 consecutive days by recording and calculating the calories (kcal) and protein consumed. Nutritional requirements were determined for each patient using standardised equations. Results.– 67 patients were included in the study. 70% (n=47) had cognitive impairment, 45% (n=30) required assistance at mealtimes and 58% (n=39) were medium-high risk for malnutrition (MUST score >2). Nutritional intake was inadequate; 64% (n=43) and 58% (n=39) failed to achieve the minimal caloric and protein requirements respectively. Older adults with a longer LOS, a higher dependency level and of an older age were more likely to meet the minimum nutritional requirements. Conclusion.– We postulate that the group meeting nutritional requirements may have been prioritised for nutritional intervention because of their age and pre-existing risk factors. Older adults need regular screening during their hospital admission to ensure adequate nutritional intake in prevention and treatment of malnutrition. Reference [1] Nutrition and Health in an Ageing Population/UCD Institute of Food and Health/Report 2010 (http://www.ucd.ie/t4cms/ ucd ageing policy doc june 10.pdf).