P610 - ANALYSES OF MALNUTRITION SCREENING IN INTERNAL MEDICINE IN A GERMAN UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL
P610
ANALYSES OF MALNUTRITION SCREENING IN INTERNAL MEDICINE IN A GERMAN UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL
M. L. Wiese1,2,*, M. Röder3, Q. T. Tran2, P. M. Podgorny2, S. von Rheinbaben4, F. Frost2, L. Valentini3, A. A. Aghdassi2
1Department of Food · Nutrition · Facilities, University of Applied Sciences Münster, Münster, 2Department of Medicine A, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, 3Section of Nutrition and Dietetics, Department of Agriculture and Food Sciences, University of Applied Sciences Neubrandenburg, Neubrandenburg, 4Department of Medicine C, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
Rationale: Malnutrition screening is an essential first step to identify at-risk patients and to initiate timely nutrition support. In a German university hospital, we investigated the implementation of routine screening in terms of malnutrition risk (MR) prevalence, provision of nutrition support, and clinical outcome.
Methods: From June to Sept. 2023, we screened all inpatients treated in a tertiary care hospital in Northeastern Germany using the Nutritional Risk Screening 2002 (NRS-2002). Patients from major medical disciplines including general internal medicine, gastroenterology, nephrology, rheumatology, and endocrinology were prospectively enrolled. Besides NRS-2002 results, information on comorbidities, nutritional consultations and diagnoses received during the hospital stay was collected. In addition to descriptive statistics, we performed uni- and multivariate regression analyses to test the association of MR (NRS-2002 ≥ 3) with clinical outcome parameters.
Results: Prevalence of MR in 321 included patients (mean(±SD) age: 61.7(±14.8) yrs; 56% male) was 29%. MR was associated with lower body mass index, higher age and Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI). Among patients with MR, 39% received subsequent nutritional assessment. Malnutrition was confirmed in 69% of the at-risk subjects, while 8% were non-malnourished, and 22% did not receive any diagnosis. An easily digestible diet and/or oral nutritional supplements were the primary recommendations for nutritional invention in 67% of at-risk patients. MR was neither associated with mortality nor need for intermediate or intensive care treatment. However, MR predicted length of hospital stay independently of CCI and age.
Conclusion: We found high MR prevalence but less than half of at-risk patients received nutritional diagnosis and consultation. Our findings suggest need for improved nutritional care in internal medicine at the highest hospital level in Germany.
Disclosure of Interest: None declared