Nutritional risk of hospitalized patients in Turkey

• Published in: Clinical nutrition (Edinburgh, Scotland) Scotland), 2009-10, Vol.28 (5), p.533-537
• Main Authors: Korfal, Gülsen, Gündoğdu, Haldun, Aydntuğ, Semih, Bahar, Mois, Besler, Tanju, Moral, Ali Reşat, Oğuz, Mehmet, Sakarya, Melek, Uyar, Mehmet, Klçturgay, Sadk
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Aging; Biological and medical sciences; Feeding. Feeding behavior; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gastroenterology and Hepatology; Hospitalization; Humans; Inpatients - statistics & numerical data; Internet; Male; Malnutrition - diagnosis; Mass Screening; Middle Aged; NRS-2002 Nutritional assessment; Nutrition Assessment; Nutritional screening; Nutritional Support; Turkey; Undernutrition; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0261-5614; 1532-1983
• DOI: 10.1016/j.clnu.2009.04.015

Summary Background & aims We conducted a multicentre study to assess nutritional risk at hospital admission, hospital-associated iatrogenic malnutrition and the status of nutritional support in Turkish hospitals. Methods A database which allowed for online submission of hospital and patient data was developed. A nutritional risk screening system (NRS-2002) was applied to all patients and repeated weekly in patients with hospital stays greater than one week and no invasive procedures. Patient-specific nutritional support was recorded during the study period. Results Thirty-four hospitals from 19 cities contributed data from 29,139 patients. On admission, 15% of patients had nutritional risk. Nutritional risk was common (52%) in intensive care unit patients and lowest (3.9%) in otorhinolaryngology patients. Only 51.8% of patients with nutritional risk received nutritional support. Nutritional risk was present in 6.25% of patients at the end of the first week and 5.2% at the end of the second week, independent of nutritional support. In patients with nutritional risk on admission who were hospitalized for two weeks and received nutritional support, the NRS-2002 score remained ≥3 in 83% of cases. Conclusions Nutritional risk is common in hospitalized Turkish patients. While patients at nutritional risk often do not receive nutritional support when hospitalized, nutritional risk occurs independent of nutritional support.