Introduction:

malnutrition is a global problem. In developed countries, malnutrition due to alterations in the population's eating habits or the presence of disease cannot be ignored, and affects hospitalized patients in particular.

Objective:

to determine the prevalence of malnutrition risk upon admission to Hospital General Nuestra Señora del Prado in Talavera de la Reina (Toledo, Spain).

Methods:

this was an observational, cross-sectional, descriptive study. From September 2017 to October 2018 all patients admitted to hospital who met the selection criteria were assessed for nutritional status using the NRS-2002® test. Anthropometric and clinical data were collected from patients at nutritional risk (NRS-2002® score ≥ 3). The malnutrition observed was diagnosed according to type and severity, and nutritional indications were given, which were recorded in the report to the clinician and in the discharge report.

Results:

a total of 476 patients took the NRS-2002® test, which detected risk of malnutrition upon admission in 137 (28.8 %; 95 % CI: 24.8 % to 33.0 %). Average BMI (SD) was 24.6 (5.4) kg/m2. The dietitian-nutritionist recommended nutritional supplementation for 78.4 % of patients, and coding of nutritional status (ICD-10) for 82.1 %. In the discharge report, more than 70 % of these recommendations were omitted.

Conclusions:

in all, 28.8 % of the patients analyzed were at risk of malnutrition or undernourished on admission. Hospital malnutrition continues to be a problem, so it is vitally important that screening methods be included at admission to allow early nutritional intervention in hospitalized patients, and that trained healthcare personnel be incorporated to this end.

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