Nutritional risk in elderly and adult patients of a hospital in Southern Brazil

Abstract

AIMS: To determine the prevalence of nutritional risk at admission using the Nutrition Risk Screening (NRS 2002) protocol, and to identify which aspects of this protocol contributed most to the final score. METHODS: A cross-sectional study included adult and elderly patients of both sexes, admitted to clinical departments (except maternity, emergency and mental health unit) of a hospital in the city of Farroupilha, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil. Individuals were assessed through NRS 2002 in the first three days after admission. RESULTS : A total of 386 patients were evaluated. They had a mean age of 56.7±20.7 years, and 198 (51.3 %) were female . Nutritional risk was present in 57 (14.8 %) patients. In the first part of the nutritional screening , 315 (81.6 %) patients had at least one positive response indicating nutritional risk, being the reduction of food intake in the last week the most prevalent. In the second part it was noted that, in relation to nutritional status, the proportion of the severe condition was present in 21 patients (36.8 % of the sample at risk). In relation to severity of disease, the prevailing condition was mild disease, in 29 (50.9 %) patients. Additional score given by age over 70 years helped to characterize nutritional risk in 35 patients (61.4 %). CONCLUSIONS : There was a high proportion of patients with nutritional risk. Reduction in food intake in the previous week was the variable that contributed most to give sequence to the second stage of the nutrition screening process.