Hypoalbuminemic Malnutrition.

Fifty years ago we originally used anthropometric measures of weight/height and upper arm anthropometry and serum albumin to define and document the high prevalence of protein calorie malnutrition in adult surgical patients in a municipal hospital in Boston (1) based on my experience with similar practices in pediatric subjects in Haiti during an elective rotation in a philanthropic hospital during my medical training. This was soon followed by a similar survey repeated at several weekly intervals in adult medical patients also demonstrating high prevalence of protein calorie malnutrition and little change over time, but with less hypoalbuminemia and lower weight/height in the medical patients (2) This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.