Malnutrition

The term ‘malnutrition’ describes a pathological condition brought about by the lack of ingestion or absorption of nutrients or by an increase in nutritional requirements generally caused by illness.

Good nutrition is essential since malnutrition leaves our bodies unable to maintain vital functions, lowers our defences and affects healing mechanisms and the replenishment of damaged soft tissue. It also lowers our tolerance for treatment and our capacity to respond to it.

The malnourished patient exhibits poor clinical evolution compared to a patient with good nutritional function. Hospitalised patients are characterised by metabolic changes associated with their illness and treatment, resulting in reduced appetite, lower food intake and metabolic imbalance.

It is essential to identify malnutrition to avoid or minimise the consequences of more serious complications in the clinical evolution of the sick, especially those suffering from infection, who are associated with longer periods of hospitalisation and increased mortality. Malnutrition can lead to irreversible negative consequences, including death.

• Delayed recovery.
• Greater susceptibility to infection.
• Increased morbidity and mortality (open sutures, improper healing of bone fractures…).
• Appearance of pressure ulcers (bedsores).
• Lessening of ability to function.
• Increased mortality.
• Longer inpatient stays (costs increase by up to 50 %).
• Increased rate of early readmission.

Higher health costs
“NUTRITIONAL TREATMENT MUST BECOME A ROUTINE AND INTEGRAL PART OF MEDICAL TREATMENT”