Nutrition Screening, Reported Dietary Intake, Hospital Foods, and Malnutrition in Critical Care Patients in Malawi.
Grace C BarcusPeggy C PapathakisAndrew SchaffnerBernadette Chimera-KhombePublished in: Nutrients (2021)
In low-income countries there are few data on hospital malnutrition. Reduced food intake combined with nutrient-poor foods served in hospitals contribute to nutritional risk. This study investigated whether reported dietary intake and disease state of hospitalized adults in critical care units was related to malnutrition determined by mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC). Adult in-patients (n = 126) in tuberculosis, burn, oncology, and intensive care units in two public tertiary hospitals in Malawi were screened for nutritional status using MUAC and a question on current dietary intake. The hospital menu was reviewed; portion sizes were weighed. The prevalence of moderate and severe malnutrition was 62%. Patients with organ-related diseases and infectious diseases had the highest rates of reduced reported dietary intake, 71.4% and 57.9%, respectively; however, there was no association between reported dietary intake and MUAC. In those unable to eat, however, the rate of severe malnutrition was 50%. The menu consisted of porridge and thickened corn-based starch with fried cabbage; protein foods were provided twice weekly. There was a nutrient gap of 250 calories and 13 gm protein daily. The findings support the need for increasing dietetic/nutrition services to prevent and treat malnutrition in hospitals using simple screening tools.
Keyphrases
- healthcare
- end stage renal disease
- chronic kidney disease
- intensive care unit
- ejection fraction
- infectious diseases
- adverse drug
- primary care
- peritoneal dialysis
- mental health
- palliative care
- prognostic factors
- body mass index
- risk factors
- mycobacterium tuberculosis
- amino acid
- drug induced
- emergency department
- hepatitis c virus
- patient reported outcomes
- mechanical ventilation
- acute care
- affordable care act
- big data
- data analysis
- small molecule
- human immunodeficiency virus
- binding protein