Philippine E-Journals

The Prevalence of Malnutrition in Surgical patients using the Surgical Nutrition Risk Assessment Form: an MCU-FDTMF Hospital Experience

Jen Jen E. Penaflorida | Cynthia P. Kapangyarihan

 

Abstract:

Background: Data on prevalence and impact of hospital malnutrition, especially pre-operatively, are grossly lacking. Objective: The objective was to evaluate the preoperative nutritional status of surgical patients admitted at a tertiary training institution. Methodology: Patients 18 years old and above who were admitted to the hospital Department of Surgery to undergo any surgical procedure were included in the study. Extreme emergency cases, pregnant patients and those admitted for observation only were excluded. Eligible patients were evaluated using the Surgical Nutrition Risk Assessment Form (SNRAF) produced by the Philippine College of Surgeons, Committee on Nutrition by the investigator. Patients were then classified as No Risk/Low Risk, Moderate Risk or High Risk. Results: The nutritional status of 90.6% of patients were normal. About a third had moderate nutritional risk level. Severity of nutritional status increased with increasing age. There was also a significant difference noted in the proportion of subjects nutritionally at risk according to nutritional status (p<0.00001). The proportion also increased with severity of nutritional status. Conclusion: Prevalence of malnutrition among surgical patients is low however, the nutrition risk level of more than a third of patients were moderate to severe.