PD533 - BEYOND DIAGNOSIS: IMPACT OF NUTRITIONAL AND FUNCTIONAL STATUS ON CLINICAL OUTCOMES INPALLIATIVE CARE PATIENTS

PD533

BEYOND DIAGNOSIS: IMPACT OF NUTRITIONAL AND FUNCTIONAL STATUS ON CLINICAL OUTCOMES IN

PALLIATIVE CARE PATIENTS

F. U. Duran Uğur¹, S. Arıcı^2,*, B. Karslı³

¹Anesthesiology and Reanimation, Kepez State Hospital, ²Nutrition and Dietetics, Manavgat State Hospital, ³Anesthesiology and Reanimation, Akdeniz University Faculty of Medicine, Antalya, Türkiye

Rationale: Palliative care (PC) patients constitute a heterogeneous population; however, clinical outcomes are driven not
only by primary diagnosis but also by nutritional status and functional capacity. This study evaluated the association
between nutritional risk, functional status, and clinical outcomes.

Methods: This single-center retrospective study included 105 patients admitted to a PC unit between December 2025
and March 2026. Demographics, comorbidities, Nutritional Risk Screening (NRS-2002), pressure ulcers, and nutritional
routes were analyzed. Outcomes were classified as favorable (discharge) or unfavorable (death or transfer to the
intensive care unit (ICU)). A composite score (0–2) based on NRS ≥ 5 and the presence of pressure ulcers was utilized.
Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify independent predictors.

Results: The mean age was 70.1 ± 15.0 years; 48 patients had favorable and 57 had unfavorable outcomes. NRS
scores were significantly higher in the unfavorable group (5 vs. 4, p=0.023). Malignancy was more prevalent in patients
with poor outcomes (70.2% vs. 14.6%, p<0.001). Parenteral nutrition (PN) requirement showed a strong association with
unfavorable outcomes (61.4% vs. 4.2%, p<0.001). The composite score was higher in the unfavorable group (2 vs. 1,
p<0.001) and independently predicted outcomes (OR ≈ 2.0, p = 0.01), alongside cancer diagnosis (OR = 6.8,
p=0.013). Subgroup analysis showed higher prognostic performance in non-cancer patients.

Conclusion: Clinical outcomes in PC are determined by nutritional and functional status as much as by diagnosis. The
ability to maintain gastrointestinal function, delay malnutrition, and prevent pressure ulcers is critical for clinical outcomes
and quality of life. Therefore, early nutritional support and strategies to preserve functional capacity should be prioritized
in palliative care settings.

Disclosure of Interest: None declared