Hospital Undernutrition Research Articles

The European View of Hospital Undernutrition

Disease-related undernutrition is significant in European hospitals but is seldom treated or prevented. In 1999, the Council of Europe decided to collect information regarding nutrition programs in hospitals, and for this purpose, a network consisting of national experts from 12 of the Partial Agreement member states was established. The aim was to review the current practices in Europe regarding hospital food provision, to highlight deficiencies, and to issue recommendations to improve the nutritional care and support of hospitalized patients. Five major common problems were identified: 1) lack of clearly defined responsibilities, 2) lack of sufficient education, 3) lack of influence and knowledge of the patients, 4) lack of cooperation between different staff groups, and 5) lack of involvement from the hospital management. To solve the problems highlighted, a combined timely and concerted effort is required from national authorities and hospital staff, including managers, to ensure appropriate nutritional care and support.

Nutrition

This chapter reviews the prevalence of hospital undernutrition with particular reference to surgical patients, discusses how nutrition can be assessed and used to predict surgical outcome, considers the physiological penalties of undernutrition and critically presents the evidence on which rational use of nutritional support in surgical patients can be based, with emphasis on randomized controlled trials.

Knowledge about the assessment and management of undernutrition: a pilot questionnaire in a UK teaching hospital

Background & aims: The detection, prevention and treatment of undernutrition in hospitals is often poor. This study assesses the knowledge about undernutrition of staff in a UK teaching hospital. Methods: Twenty nine doctors, 65 final year medical students, 45 nurses, 11 dietitians, and 11 pharmacists anonymously completed a questionnaire of 20 multiple choice questions. One of five possible answers was considered correct. Twelve questions were about adult nutritional assessment and requirements, five about oral/enteral nutrition and three about parenteral nutrition. Results: Dietitians scored significantly more (median 16) than the other groups (doctors: seven, medical students: eight, nurses: seven and pharmacists: nine) ( P < 0.0001). Medical students scored more than doctors ( P < 0.001). Examples of areas in which knowledge could be improved are: 67% respondents thought the prevalence of hospital undernutrition to be less than 30%. While 91% of respondents correctly chose a well 70 kg man to need about 2000 kcal/day, only 23% knew that approximately the same amount was needed for a febrile post-operative patient. Sixteen percent knew antibiotic treatment to be the most common reason for enteral feeding-related diarrhoea. Conclusions: Knowledge about the assessment and management of undernutrition among doctors,medical students, nurses and pharmacists was poor. This questionnaire provides a framework for teaching and auditing the effectiveness of an educational program.

Penalties of hospital undernutrition.

Penalties of hospital undernutrition.