Nutritional changes and effects in hospitalized patients

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of hospitalization in the internal disease clinics on nutrition variables.

METHODS: This study was a cohort-type study performed in the Internal Diseases Clinics, University Hospital in Turkey. We included 208 patients who were hospitalized in the Internal Diseases Clinics of the University between June and August 2003. The clinical nutrition parameters of all the patients were evaluated from anthropometric measurements and laboratory results at admission and discharge.

RESULTS: Of 208, 105 were females, and 103 were males. The average age was 57 ± 13.5 (18-85) years. Average hospitalization period of the cases was 14 ± 10 (1-73) days. While the average body weight at admission was 71.6 ± 10.9 kg and it was found to be 70.7 ± 1.3 kg at discharge (paired sample t test, p<0.001). We noted the statistically significant decrease in the body mass index, waist and hip measures, muscle-skin folds thickness, and body adipose mass (p<0.05). Decreases were observed in all the clinical parameters of laboratory test results of the patients indicating end products of fat, protein, and carbohydrate metabolism (p<0.05). It was observed that the demographic characteristics of the patients (age, gender, occupation, education, and so forth) did not affect the decrease in nutritional parameters (p>0.05).

CONCLUSION: It was observed that decreases occurred in all the nutrition parameters of the patients who were hospitalized in the internal diseases clinics. It is suggested that these decreases are related to entire fat, protein, and carbohydrate metabolism. Nutritional parameters of patients should be followed during hospitalization with the purpose of preventing regression in nutrition parameters.