Evaluation of an electronic medical record-based Paediatric Nutrition Screening Tool.

BACKGROUND: Nutrition screening is recommended to identify children at risk for malnutrition. A unique screening tool was developed based on American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (ASPEN) recommendations and embedded in the electronic medical record to assess for nutrition risk. METHODS: The components of the tool included the Paediatric Nutrition Screening Tool (PNST) and other elements recommended by ASPEN. To evaluate the screening tool, retrospective data were analysed on all patients admitted to acute care units of Children's Wisconsin in 2019. Data collected included nutrition screen results, diagnosis and nutrition status. All patients who received at least one full nutrition assessment by a registered dietitian (RD) were included in analysis. RESULTS: One thousand five hundred seventy-five patients were included in analysis. The following screen elements were significantly associated with a diagnosis of malnutrition: any positive screen (p < 0.001), >2 food allergies (p = 0.009), intubation (p < 0.001), parenteral nutrition (p = 0.005), RD-identified risk (p < 0.001), positive risk per the PNST (p < 0.001), BMI-for-age or weight-for-length z-score (p < 0.001), intake <50% for 3 days (p = 0.012) and NPO > 3 days (p = 0.009). The current screen had a sensitivity of 93.9%, specificity of 20.3%, positive predictive value (PPV) of 30.9% and negative predictive value (NPV) of 89.8%. This is compared with the PNST which had a sensitivity of 32%, specificity of 94.2%, PPV of 71% and NPV of 75.8% in this study population. CONCLUSION: This unique screening tool is useful for predicting nutrition risk and has a greater sensitivity than the PNST alone.

Nutrition guidelines for preterm infants: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: There is no consensus on optimal nutrition for preterm infants, leading to substantial practice variation. We aimed to assess the quality of nutrition guidelines for preterm infants, the consistency of recommendations, and the gaps in recommendations. METHODS: We searched databases and websites for nutrition guidelines for preterm infants before first hospital discharge, which were endorsed, prepared, or authorized by a regional, national, or international body, written in English, and published between 2012 and 2023. Two reviewers independently screened articles and extracted the recommendations. Four reviewers appraised the included guidelines using Appraisal of Guidelines, Research, and Evaluation II. RESULTS: A total of 7051 were identified, with 27 guidelines included, 26% of which were high in quality. Most guidelines lacked stakeholder involvement and rigor of development. We found considerable variation in recommendations, many of which lacked details on certainty of evidence and strength of recommendation. Recommendations for type of feed and breastmilk fortification were consistent among high-quality guidelines, but recommendations varied for intakes of almost all nutrients and monitoring of nutrition adequacy. Different guidelines gave different certainty of evidence for the same recommendations. Most gaps in recommendations were due to very low certainty of evidence. CONCLUSION: Future development of nutrition guidelines for preterm infants should follow the standard guideline development method and ensure the rigorous process, including stakeholders' involvement, to improve the reporting of strength of recommendation, certainty of evidence, and gaps in recommendation. Evidence is needed to support recommendations about macro and micronutrient intakes, breastmilk fortification, and markers on adequacy of intake of different nutrients.

A clinical consensus paper on jejunal tube feeding in children.

BACKGROUND: Feeding problems are common in children with complex medical problems or acute critical illness and enteral nutrition may be required. In certain situations, gastric tube feeding is poorly tolerated or may not be feasible. When feed intolerance persists despite appropriate adjustments to oral and gastric enteral regimens, jejunal tube feeding can be considered as an option for nutrition support. METHODS: A multidisciplinary expert working group of the Australasian Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition was convened. They identified topic questions and five key areas of jejunal tube feeding in children. Literatures searches were undertaken on Pubmed, Embase, and Medline for all relevant studies, between January 2000 and September 2022 (n = 103). Studies were assessed using National Health and Medical Research Council guidelines to generate statements, which were discussed as a group, followed by voting on statements using a modified Delphi process to determine consensus. RESULTS: A total of 24 consensus statements were created for five key areas: patient selection, type and selection of feeding tube, complications, clinical use of jejunal tubes, follow-up, and reassessment. CONCLUSION: Jejunal tube feeding is a safe and effective means of providing nutrition in a select group of pediatric patients with complex medical needs, who are unable to be fed by gastric tube feeding. Appropriate patient selection is important as complications associated with jejunal tube feeding are not uncommon, and although mostly minor, can be significant or require tube reinsertion. All children receiving jejunal tube feeding should have multidisciplinary team assessment and follow-up.

Nutrition support management of organ transplant recipients in the acute posttransplant phase.

Patients who undergo solid organ transplant can have an extensive and challenging postoperative course. The chronicity of the disease state prior to transplant in combination with transplant-specific complications and immunosuppressant medications can lead to distinct challenges that are not observed in other critically ill patients. Although the manifestation of posttransplant complications may be specific to the organ being transplanted, there are common transplant challenges that affect nutrition therapy in these patients. Effects of malnutrition, metabolic aberrations, and posttransplant organ dysfunction should be considered when developing a nutrition care plan for patients in the immediate posttransplant phase. This article addresses the various complications that can arise in the immediate posttransplant phase among patients undergoing solid organ transplant and the appropriate nutrition interventions or considerations for this specialized patient population.

Enteral nutrition: An underappreciated source of patient safety events.

Enteral nutrition (EN) therapies are prescribed for patients not able to maintain adequate nutrition through the oral route. Medical errors and close calls associated with the provision of EN therapy leading to actual and potential patient harm have been reported. The purpose of this study was to determine the number, type, and severity of safety events related to the provision of EN therapies reported to a national database and provide workable recommendations from the literature to improve safety. An interdisciplinary team queried the National Center for Patient Safety (NCPS) Joint Patient Safety Reporting (JPSR) system using keywords related to EN therapy use. The team reviewed the number, type, and severity of reported events and safety codes as categorized by the NCPS and then thematically classified the narratives using the Medication Use Process (MUP). Our query revealed 1227 safety events related to the EN keywords. Thematic analysis of the top five event subtypes (n = 1030) revealed that there were 691 EN safety reports directly related to an MUP step, and the majority fell into the steps of administering (31%), followed by monitoring (28%), dispensing (26%), prescribing (11%), and transcription (4%), with many events involving more than one MUP step. Safety events associated with the provision of EN therapies leading to patient harm have been reported to the JPSR system. To improve safety related to EN use, modifications to prescribing, transcribing/documenting, dispensing, administering, and monitoring of prescribed EN therapies are needed.

Role of the neonatal registered dietitian nutritionist in Canada: A description of staffing and a comparison to practices in the United States.

BACKGROUND: Neonatal registered dietitian nutritionists (RDNs) are critical members of the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) team. Ideal RDN staffing levels are unknown. Current staffing levels of neonatal RDNs in Canadian NICUs have not been recently reported. The objective of this study was to describe neonatal RDN staffing and responsibilities in Canada and contrast these findings with those of neonatal RDNs in the United States. METHODS: An online cross-sectional neonatal RDN survey was performed in the Fall of 2021 to collect hospital-level and individual-RDN-level data. Descriptive statistics were performed to summarize Canadian neonatal RDN staffing levels and responsibilities and compared with US findings. RESULTS: Canadian RDNs reported a median staffing ratio of 25.3 NICU beds per RDN full-time equivalent, with neonatal RDNs reporting a desired 31% increase in staffing. The majority of Canadian NICUs (n = 20/24) reported having a dedicated space to prepare infant feeds away from bedside. Canadian neonatal RDNs reported wanting to expand their responsibilities in research, administration, and education. Canadian neonatal RDNs reported a higher rate of order writing privileges as compared with that of US neonatal RDNs. CONCLUSION: Canadian neonatal RDNs reported a desired increase in their staffing levels. Neonatal RDNs have the potential to expand their professional role but require additional staffing, dedicated time, and compensation to support this. Further research determining the optimal neonatal RDN staffing ratio to maximize patient outcomes is required.

Survey of nutrition screening practices in pediatric hospitals across the United States.

BACKGROUND: Nutrition screening on admission is critically important to systematically identify patients with undernutrition given the known relationship with deleterious clinical outcomes. Limited data exist regarding optimal processes and criteria for pediatric nutrition screening. Therefore, we sought to characterize nutrition screening practices in pediatric hospitals. METHODS: A total of 365 inpatient pediatric hospitals in the United States were identified, eligible, and contacted. Eligible hospitals included general pediatric hospitals, adult hospitals with pediatric units, and specialty pediatric hospitals. One respondent at each eligible hospital was asked to complete a 33-question survey of admission nutrition screening practices. RESULTS: Of 268 survey respondents, 37% represented pediatric units in adult hospitals, 35% general pediatric hospitals, and 28% pediatric specialty or psychiatric hospitals. A total of 98.5% endorsed the existence of a screening process on admission. Anthropometrics (eg, body mass index z score, 84%) and nutrition status (eg, change in intake, 67%) were the most common screening criteria applied. A nutrition screening instrument was used in 37% of institutions, and only 31% of institutions reported using pediatric-specific screening instruments. Pediatric units within adult hospitals were 1.38 times more likely to use a screening instrument validated in any population. Barriers to nutrition screening included the lack of a standard screening procedure and insufficient staff to conduct screening. Fifty-four percent of respondents reported a desire to change their hospital's nutrition screening process. CONCLUSION: Most pediatric hospitals screen for nutrition risk on admission. However, methods and criteria varied widely across pediatric hospitals, highlighting the importance of standardized best practices.

Trends in preoperative carbohydrate load practice: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: The preoperative carbohydrate load (PCL) is intended to improve surgical outcomes by reducing the catabolic state induced by overnight fasting. However, there is disagreement on the optimal PCL prescription, leaving local institutions without a standardized PCL recommendation. Results from studies that do not prescribe PCL in identical ways cannot be pooled to draw larger conclusions on outcomes affected by the PCL. The aim of this systematic review is to catalog prescribed PCL characteristics, including timing of ingestion, percentage of carbohydrate contribution, and volume, to ultimately standardize PCL practice. METHODS: A comprehensive search was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Randomized controlled trials were included if they studied at least one group of patients who were prescribed a PCL and the PCL was described with respect to timing of ingestion, carbohydrate contribution, and total volume. RESULTS: A total of 67 studies with 6551 patients were included in this systematic review. Of the studies, 49.3% were prescribed PCL on the night before surgery and morning of surgery, whereas 47.8% were prescribed PCL on the morning of surgery alone. The mean prescribed carbohydrate concentration was 13.5% (±3.4). The total volume prescribed was 648.2 ml (±377). CONCLUSION: Variation in PCL practices prevent meaningful data pooling and outcome analysis, highlighting the need for standardized PCL prescription. Efforts dedicated to the establishment of a gold standard PCL prescription are necessary so that studies can be pooled and analyzed with respect to meaningful clinical end points that impact surgical outcomes and patient satisfaction.

Prevention of complications for hospitalized patients receiving parenteral nutrition: A narrative review.

Hospitalized patients may benefit from parenteral nutrition to address their compromised nutrition status attributed to limited oral/enteral intake and increased nutrient/energy requirement during acute illness. Parenteral nutrition, however, can be associated with many complications that can negatively impact patient outcomes. In this review, we focus on potential metabolic and catheter-related complications associated with parenteral nutrition use. We report on potential risk factors for such complications and highlight strategies for prevention and early recognition. To optimize outcomes, key findings include the creation and implementation of evidence-based protocols with proven efficacy. For each hospital unit delivering parenteral nutrition to patients, tracking compliance with established protocols and patient outcomes is crucial for ongoing improvement through identification of gaps, proper reeducation and training, and ongoing refinement of care protocols. Establishment of specialized inpatient nutrition support teams should be considered.

Practice changes and infant health risks during the 2022 infant formula shortage: Results of a US healthcare provider survey.

BACKGROUND: In February 2022, an infant formula recall and closing of a major manufacturing center exacerbated a nationwide shortage initiated by COVID-19-related supply chain disruptions. The effects were far-reaching, impacting families and healthcare providers across the US. METHODS: A 19-item web survey was developed to better understand how the infant formula shortage impacted healthcare provider practices, resources needed and those already used, and patient health, including malnutrition. Subjective data on providers' experience were also collected. RESULTS: Two hundred forty-one providers responded, primarily registered dietitians (94%) practicing in inpatient/academic hospitals in urban and metropolitan areas. Practice adjustments included increases in patient education (100%), communication with pharmacies/durable medical equipment companies (65%), and visit durations (28%). Feeding adjustments by caregivers included new infant formula (99%), toddler (55%) or homemade (23%) formula, cow's milk (46%) or milk alternatives (32%), formula dilution (41%), and early food introduction (14%). Providers indicated an increase in malnutrition (33%), related diagnoses (including failure to thrive [31%] and deceleration in z score [27%]), and associated symptoms. Of the providers who reported malnutrition and related diagnoses, 93% also reported caregiver feeding practices that are generally not recommended. CONCLUSION: Providers made practice adjustments to mitigate the consequences associated with formula unavailability and misuse yet saw an increase in malnutrition and related diagnoses or symptoms. Subjectively, providers reported frustration that greater workloads did not result in improved outcomes, contributing to burnout. These data underscore the essentiality of supporting healthcare providers as they guide families in safe infant feeding practices.

Micronutrient supplementation in patients with malabsorptive conditions.

Patients with malabsorptive conditions can develop micronutrient deficiencies, even if they receive vitamins, minerals, or trace elements through their enteral or parenteral nutrition. Additionally, clinicians have faced challenges with micronutrient supplementation during parenteral product shortages and when transitioning patients from parenteral to enteral/oral nutrition. Evaluating micronutrient deficiencies through laboratory markers has various limitations, including that many are acute phase reactants, may not reflect storage status, or may not be readily available in clinical practice. Furthermore, clinicians can become overwhelmed with the variety of vitamin and mineral products available, the differences in dosages and ingredients in these products, and lastly, the inherent challenges associated with an impaired gastrointestinal tract. The current review will discuss some challenges clinicians may encounter in clinical practice during the evaluation, assessment, and prescription of micronutrient supplementation in patients with malabsorptive conditions.

Patterns of use of malnutrition risk screening in pediatric populations: A survey of current practice among pediatric hospitals in North America.

Information on the use of validated malnutrition risk screening tools in pediatric facilities to guide malnutrition identification, diagnosis, and treatment is scarce. Therefore, a survey of pediatric healthcare facilities and practitioners to ascertain malnutrition risk screening practices in North America was conducted. A pediatric nutrition screening practices survey was developed and sent to members of the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition, the Council for Pediatric Nutrition Professionals and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Pediatric Nutrition Practice Group. Respondents represented 113 pediatric hospitals in the United States and six in Canada, of which 94 were inpatient and 59 were outpatient. Nutrition risk screening was completed in 90% inpatient settings, and 63% used a validated screening tool. Nurses performed most malnutrition risk screens in the inpatient setting. Nutrition risk screening was reported in 51% of outpatient settings, with a validated screening tool being used in 53%. Measured anthropometrics were used in 78% of inpatient settings, whereas 45% used verbally reported anthropometrics. Measured anthropometrics were used in 97% outpatient settings. Nutrition risk screening was completed in the electronic health record in 80% inpatient settings and 81% outpatient settings. Electronic health record positive screen generated an automatic referral in 80% of inpatient and 45% of outpatient settings. In this sample of pediatric healthcare organizations, the results demonstrate variation in pediatric malnutrition risk screening in North America. These inconsistencies justify the need to standardize pediatric malnutrition risk screening using validated pediatric tools and allocate resources to perform screening.

Implementation of standardized feeding pathways for infants with gastroschisis to improve patient outcomes: A quality improvement project in a level IV surgical NICU.

Gastroschisis is a leading cause of pediatric intestinal failure. Feeding guidelines may lead to improved patient outcomes including decreased time to reach full feeds, a reduction in the duration of parenteral nutrition, and reduced length of stay. However, there is limited evidence on what the ideal feeding guidelines are for this complex gastrointestinal diagnosis. In this quality improvement project, after completing a literature review, we created three pathways based on the complexity of the gastroschisis. We reviewed historical data without a defined feeding pathway/guideline to our newly created pathways in the intervention group. The study included 35 patients with varying degrees of gastroschisis complexity, consisting of 9 current patients (October 2021-December 2022) who were provided with defined feeding pathways and 26 historical patients before the protocol was implemented (January 2015-August 2021). There were no significant differences in the number of days required for full feeds between the two groups. However, the mean duration of parenteral nutrition was 18.9 days (95% CI, -31.8 to -7.0) shorter in the intervention group. Although not statistically significant, the patients in the intervention group had a mean length of stay that was 13.1 days (95% CI, -50.0 to 25.4) shorter than the historical group. The creation of standardized feeding guidelines for the gastroschisis population resulted in a statistically nonsignificant decrease in time to reach full enteral feeds, a statistically significant reduced duration of parenteral nutrition, and a statistically nonsignifiant decreased length of stay.

Poor nutrition status associated with low patient satisfaction six months into treatment for head and neck/esophageal cancer treatment: A prospective multicenter cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Patient-reported outcome measures have been associated with survival in oncology patients. Altered intake and malnutrition are common symptoms for patients treated for head and neck cancer and esophageal cancer (HNC/EC). The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between patient-reported satisfaction with medical care and nutrition status. METHODS: This prospective cohort study collected data from 11 international cancer care sites. RESULTS: One hundred and sixtythree adult patients (n = 115 HNC; n = 48 EC) completed a patient satisfaction questionnaire (the Canadian Health Care Evaluation Project Lite) and were included. HNC/EC patient global satisfaction with medical care was 88.3/100 ± 15.3 at baseline and remained high at 86.6/100 ± 16.8 by 6 months (100 max satisfaction score). Poor nutrition status, as defined by the Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment Short Form, was associated with lower patient satisfaction with overall medical care, relationship with doctors, illness management, communication, and decision-making 6 months into treatment (P < 0.01). There was no difference in global satisfaction between patients who did and did not report swallowing difficulty (P = 0.99) and patients with and without feeding tube placement (P = 0.36). Patients who were seen by a dietitian for at least one nutrition assessment had global satisfaction with care that was 16.7 percentage points higher than those with no nutrition assessment (89.3 ± 13.8 vs 72.6 ± 23.6; P = 0.005) CONCLUSION: In HNC/EC patient-centered oncology care, decreasing malnutrition risk and providing access to dietitian-led nutrition assessments should be prioritized and supported to improve patient satisfaction and standard of care. Feeding tube placement did not decrease patient satisfaction with medical care.

Association between tunneled catheter placement and catheter-associated deep venous thrombosis in adults with inflammatory bowel disease receiving home parenteral nutrition: A retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are at increased risk of thrombosis. They often need parenteral nutrition (PN) requiring intravenous access for prolonged periods. We assessed the risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) associated with peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs) and tunneled catheters for patients with IBD receiving home PN (HPN). METHODS: Using the Cleveland Clinic HPN Registry, we retrospectively studied a cohort of adults with IBD who received HPN between June 30, 2019 and January 1, 2023. We collected demographics, catheter type, and catheter-associated DVT (CADVT) data. We performed descriptive statistics and Poisson tests to compare CADVT rates among parameters of interest. We generated Kaplan-Meier graphs to illustrate longevity of CADVT-free survival and a Cox proportional hazard model to calculate the hazard ratio associated with CADVT. RESULTS: We collected data on 407 patients, of which, 276 (68%) received tunneled catheters and 131 (32%) received PICCs as their initial catheter. There were 17 CADVTs with an overall rate of 0.08 per 1000 catheter days, whereas individual rates of DVT for PICCs and tunneled catheters were 0.16 and 0.05 per 1000 catheter days, respectively (P = 0.03). After adjusting for age, sex, and comorbidity, CADVT risk was significantly higher for PICCs compared with tunneled catheters, with an adjusted hazard ratio of 2.962 (95% CI=1.140-7.698; P = 0.025) and adjusted incidence rate ratio of 3.66 (95% CI=2.637-4.696; P = 0.013). CONCLUSION: Our study shows that CADVT risk is nearly three times higher with PICCs compared with tunneled catheters. We recommend tunneled catheter placement for patients with IBD who require HPN infusion greater than 30 days.

Association of fasting in the first 72 h of intensive care unit stay with outcomes of critically ill patients.

BACKGROUND: Whether fasting early in critical illness course is acceptable is not clear and high-quality data on this topic are lacking. To generate equipoise for future clinical trials and bring additional data to current literature, we compared outcomes of patients fasted during the first 72 h of intensive care unit (ICU) stay to patients receiving any nutrition support during this period. METHODS: Retrospective cohort study of a medical ICU from a tertiary academic center in Brazil. Adult patients treated between November 2017 and February 2022 with an ICU length of stay of ≥5 days were included. Baseline and daily data were retrieved from the prospectively collected administrative database. We did 1:1 propensity score matching to compare patients fasting for at least 72 h with controls. Primary outcome was hospital mortality and secondary outcomes were other resources' use. RESULTS: During the study period, 1591 patients were cared for in this ICU, of which 998 stayed ≥5 days. After excluding readmissions and propensity score matching, 93 patients in the fasting group were matched to 93 controls. Hospital mortality was similar between fasting and matched control groups (odds ratio = 1.04; 95% CI = 0.56-1.94; P > 0.99). Secondary outcomes were not different between groups, including length of stay, days on mechanical ventilation, and incidence of new infections. CONCLUSION: Withholding nutrition support in the first 72 h of ICU stay was not associated with worse outcomes in this cohort of severe critically ill patients.

Developing guidance for feeding tube administration of oral medications.

BACKGROUND: Drug administration through feeding tubes presents many challenges to the healthcare provider. There is little information available on medications than can be delivered safely when crushed and what efforts can be implemented to minimize clogging the feeding tube. Our institution requested a comprehensive examination of all oral medications for the feeding tube route. METHODS: This report is a synopsis of the physical evaluation of 323 different oral medications for their appropriateness for feeding tube administration with distal site in either the stomach or jejunum. A worksheet was created for each medication. This document contained a review of the chemical and physical properties that would contribute to delivery of the medication. Each medication was then studied for the degree of disintegration, pH, osmolality, and potential to form clogs. For drugs that needed to be crushed, the volume of water needed to dissolve the drug, time for that process, and volume needed to rinse the tube after administration was also studied. RESULTS: The results of this review are summarized in a table and based on a composite of the documents cited, tests conducted, and author's judgements based all the data collected. Thirty-six medications were identified as inappropriate for feeding tube administration, and an additional 46 medications were identified as inappropriate for direct jejunal administration. CONCLUSION: The information produced by this study will enable clinicians to make informed choices in selecting, compounding, and rinsing medications through feeding tubes. Using the template provided, they will be able to evaluate a drug not studied here for potential issues in feeding tube administration.

Current practice of gastric residual volume measurements and related outcomes of critically ill patients: A secondary analysis of the intestinal-specific organ function assessment study.

BACKGROUND: Gastric residual volume (GRV) measurement to detect gastrointestinal (GI) dysfunction is a common diagnostic procedures in critical care, albeit still not well standardized being operator-, patient-, and tube-dependent. Our aim was to describe current practice of GRV measurements and its association with clinical outcomes in critically ill patients. METHODS: This was a secondary analysis of an international prospective observational cohort study (intestinal-specific organ function assessment). Eligibility criteria were defined as ≥1 GRV measurement during the 7-day study period. Data collection included GRV measurement practices, tube diameters and volumes, symptoms of GI dysfunction, and clinical outcomes. The primary aim was to describe current practices of GRV measurements, and the secondary aim was to test the association of high (>200 ml) vs. low GRV with symptoms of GI dysfunction and clinical outcomes using generalized linear regression and survival models. RESULTS: Two hundred fifty-eight patients with 2422 GRV measurements on 875 study days were analyzed. GRV was mainly measured via passive drainage twice daily using large diameter tubes. There was no significant association between tube size or measurement technique and high GRV. High GRV occurred in 34% of patients and was associated with other GI symptoms and with increased disease severity but not with 28-day or 90-day mortality, intensive care unit-free and ventilator-free days. CONCLUSION: There was substantial variability of GRV measurement techniques, but this had no impact on the amount of GRV. High GRV was not associated with mortality or ventilator-free days but may serve as a marker of GI dysfunction and disease severity.

Clinical applications of body composition and functional status tools for nutrition assessment of hospitalized adults: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: No global consensus exists on diagnostic criteria for malnutrition. Muscular deficits and functional impairments are major components of available malnutrition diagnostic frameworks because these facets of nutrition status significantly impact outcomes. The purpose of this review is to explore which body composition assessment (BCA) and functional status assessment (FSA) tools are being used for nutrition assessment (NA) and monitoring the response to nutrition interventions (RNIs) in adult inpatients. METHODS: A literature search of Embase, Medline (Ovid), Web of Science, and Cochrane Central was performed to identify studies that used BCA and/or FSA tools for NA (along with an accepted NA diagnostic framework) and/or for monitoring RNI in adult inpatients. RESULTS: The search yielded 3667 articles; 94 were included in the review. The number of studies using BCA and/or FSA tools for NA was 47 and also 47 for monitoring RNI. Seventy-nine percent of studies used bioimpedance for BCA, and 97% that included FSA utilized handgrip strength. When compared against sets of diagnostic criteria, many of the BCA and FSA tools showed promising associations with nutrition status. CONCLUSION: Bioimpedance methods are the most widely used bedside BCA tools, and handgrip strength is the most widely used FSA tool; however, these methods are being used with a variety of protocols, algorithms, and interpretation practices in heterogeneous populations. To create a standardized nutrition status assessment process there is a need for validation studies on bedside methods and the development of globally standardized assessment protocols in clinical inpatient settings.

Prevalence and characteristics of starvation-related malnutrition in a mid-Atlantic healthcare system: A cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Malnutrition in the hospital negatively impacts outcomes, including readmissions, mortality, and cost. Starvation-related malnutrition (SRM) is a state of chronic undernutrition with little to no inflammation. Research on SRM within the hospital setting is lacking. Our objective was to determine the prevalence and characteristics of malnutrition within the hospital, focusing on characteristics associated with readmissions in those with SRM. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study analyzing characteristics of adult in patients with acute disease-related malnutrition (ADM) and chronic disease-related malnutrition (CDM) compared with patients with SRM. Prevalence of all malnutrition types was calculated as the total number of malnourished patients divided by the total number of hospital discharges. Analysis of variance with Tukey post hoc analysis was performed to determine differences between characteristics of patients with SRM and other forms of malnutrition. RESULTS: Total prevalence of malnutrition was 2.8%. Of malnourished patients, 17.6%, 79.9%, and 2.5% had ADM, CDM, and SRM, respectively. Patients with SRM had lower body mass index (BMI) (P < .001) and higher rates of readmission (P = 0.046), infectious disease (P < .001), psychiatric disease (P < .001), and substance abuse (P < .001) than patients with ADM or CDM. Readmitted patients with SRM had lower BMI and higher rates of infection and drug abuse than those without readmission. CONCLUSION: The high incidence of comorbid substance abuse and mental illness in patients with SRM provide important targets for treatment that might reduce readmission and improve outcomes.