Page 125 - Petelin, Ana, and Šarabon, Nejc. 2018. Eds. Zdravje starostnikov / Health of the Elderly. Znanstvena monografija / Proceedings. Koper: University of Primorska Press
P. 125
tritional status of older adults admitted
to the Surgical Ward
Nika Slokar, Nina Mohorko
University of Primorska, Faculty of Health Sciences, Polje 42, 6310 Izola, Slovenia
Abstract
Introduction: A substantial number of older adults are malnourished
at the time of hospital admission, which negatively influences their
recovery time, quality of life, possible complications, length of hospital
stay and costs of treatment.
Methods: The study was conducted at the Surgical Ward of the Izola
General Hospital between January and May 2016. All patients aged
65 years or older were invited to the study within 48 hours after being
admitted to the ward. Nutritional examinations were carried out with
anthropometric, bioimpedance and functional measures and with NRS-
2002, based on which patients’ nutritional status was defined, patients
were nutritionally assessed and classified into two groups; one with
increased nutritional risk, the other without it.
Results: Out of 67 acute patients (64 % male), 77.0 ± 7.9 years, BMI 28.4
± 4.4 kg/m2 (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2: 54 (81 %)) in the study, 39 (58 %) had
increased nutritional risk, 11 (28 %) had normal body mass, 16 (41 %) were
overweight and 12 (31 %) obese. The group with increased nutritional risk
had lower fat free mass index, phase angle and hand grip strength.
Discussion and conclusion: Despite the fact that 81 % of patients’ BMI
≥ 25 kg/m2, 58 % of them were grouped as patients with increased
nutritional risk. If the nutritional status of patients were determined
using only the BMI cut-points for malnutrition (< 20 or ≤ 22 kg/m2) only
8 % of patients would be classified as malnourished.
Keywords: older adults, nutritional screening, nutritional assessment,
nutritional status, malnutrition
Unintentional weight loss and malnutrition are typical for older adults.
Aging is often accompanied by physical inactivity, chronic or/and acute
disease, reduced dietary intake and hormonal changes which reflects in
doi: https://doi.org/10.26493/978-961-7055-18-4.125-132
to the Surgical Ward
Nika Slokar, Nina Mohorko
University of Primorska, Faculty of Health Sciences, Polje 42, 6310 Izola, Slovenia
Abstract
Introduction: A substantial number of older adults are malnourished
at the time of hospital admission, which negatively influences their
recovery time, quality of life, possible complications, length of hospital
stay and costs of treatment.
Methods: The study was conducted at the Surgical Ward of the Izola
General Hospital between January and May 2016. All patients aged
65 years or older were invited to the study within 48 hours after being
admitted to the ward. Nutritional examinations were carried out with
anthropometric, bioimpedance and functional measures and with NRS-
2002, based on which patients’ nutritional status was defined, patients
were nutritionally assessed and classified into two groups; one with
increased nutritional risk, the other without it.
Results: Out of 67 acute patients (64 % male), 77.0 ± 7.9 years, BMI 28.4
± 4.4 kg/m2 (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2: 54 (81 %)) in the study, 39 (58 %) had
increased nutritional risk, 11 (28 %) had normal body mass, 16 (41 %) were
overweight and 12 (31 %) obese. The group with increased nutritional risk
had lower fat free mass index, phase angle and hand grip strength.
Discussion and conclusion: Despite the fact that 81 % of patients’ BMI
≥ 25 kg/m2, 58 % of them were grouped as patients with increased
nutritional risk. If the nutritional status of patients were determined
using only the BMI cut-points for malnutrition (< 20 or ≤ 22 kg/m2) only
8 % of patients would be classified as malnourished.
Keywords: older adults, nutritional screening, nutritional assessment,
nutritional status, malnutrition
Unintentional weight loss and malnutrition are typical for older adults.
Aging is often accompanied by physical inactivity, chronic or/and acute
disease, reduced dietary intake and hormonal changes which reflects in
doi: https://doi.org/10.26493/978-961-7055-18-4.125-132
