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Determinants of Nutritional Status in Hospital Patients in Italy

University of Illinois, Department of Medicine, Gastrointestinal Section, Chicago, Illinois

G. Maiani

National Institute of Nutrition, Rome, Italy

A. Ferro-Luzzi

National Institute of Nutrition, Rome, Italy

F. Pitassi

Second Surgical Clinic of University of Rome, Rome, Italy

P. Trentini

Second Surgical Clinic of University of Rome, Rome, Italy

G. Pappalardo

Second Surgical Clinic of University of Rome, Rome, Italy

A. Nicastro

National Institute of Nutrition, Rome, Italy

E. Azzini

National Institute of Nutrition, Rome, Italy

S. Dalla Torre

National Institute of Nutrition, Rome, Italy

M.A. Jama

Somaly National University, Faculty of Medicine, Mogadishu, Somalia

P. Spigliati

Sulmona Hospital, Sulmona, Italy

G. Toico

Department of Pathology, University Hospital, Trieste, Italy

S. Morabito

Department of Endocrinology, University of Messina, Messina, Italy

The prevalence of protein-calorie malnutrition (PCM) and micronutrient deficiency (MND) at the time of admission and discharge from hospital was evaluated in 91 patients consecutively admitted to the Surgery Clinic of the University Hospital of Rome.

Anthropometric parameters and circulating levels of vitamins (A, E, C, B₁, and B2) and visceral proteins [retinol-binding protein (RBP, prealbumin (PA), and transferrin] were measured. Twenty-one patients (23%) had moderate to severe PCM, and 70 patients (77%) had normal nutritional status (NNS) at admission. Two patients with PCM died in the hospital. At discharge, the prevalence of PCM was unchanged in the remaining 19 patents. Single or multiple MND was observed initially in 71% of patients with PCM and in 36% with apparently normal nutritional status. Despite vitamin supplementation, MND was present at the time of discharge in 73% of patients with PCM and 44% with NNS.

Nutritional status at the time of admission was assessed in hospitals in six different Italian cities. The criterion for admission to the study was the diagnosis of chronic (>1 yr duration) illness (excluding cancer and multiple organ disorders). Two hundred eighty-four patients (145 males, 139 females), ages 25-88 yr, were selected. The findings indicated a high prevalence of MND (64%). Also, in disorders that usually do not have significant alterations of digestion or absorption, such as uncomplicated cardiorespiratory disease, the prevalence of MND was high (9-38%). The prevalence of MND was not related to body mass index (BMI). PCM was more common among patients with chronic gastrointestinal disease. There was a high level of obesity among cardiac patients (BMI>24-25), even though one-third of them had MND. The prevalence of MND was not related to anthropometric indicators of PCM. (Journal of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition 11:122S-125S, 1987)

Journal of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition, Vol. 11, No. 5 Suppl, 122S-125S (1987)
DOI: 10.1177/014860718701100519


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