Pulmonology patients are predisposed to be undernourished and a wide variability in the estimates of frequency of undernutrition risk and undernutrition is found in the literature. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to investigate the prevalence of undernutrition risk and undernutrition on hospital admission in pulmonology department inpatients. We also intend to take into account the different methodologies used to evaluate undernutrition risk and undernutrition in this population. Pubmed, ISI-Web of Science, and Scopus were searched until January 2015. The evidence regarding the prevalence of undernutrition risk and undernutrition was summarized. Twenty-two studies were included in the qualitative analysis and 21 in meta-analysis. The overall prevalence of undernutrition risk (32.73%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 31.29%-34.17%, I2 = 97.6%) was lower than undernutrition prevalence (36.95%; 95% CI, 34.80%-39.10%, I2 = 99.7%). The subtotal prevalence of undernutrition risk was similar using the Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool and Nutritional Risk Screening-2002. The studies using only anthropometric parameters for the assessment of undernutrition reported lower prevalence of undernutrition than the studies that used Subjective Global Assessment. Cross-sectional studies reported higher prevalence of undernutrition risk and undernutrition than cohort studies. Studies including larger samples reported a prevalence estimate similar to the overall prevalence for undernutrition risk and undernutrition. Studies conducted in non-pulmonology departments showed lower prevalence of undernutrition risk than those from pulmonology departments, contrary to the estimates for undernutrition prevalence. Undernutrition risk and undernutrition prevalence at hospital admission are high among pulmonology inpatients, but the heterogeneity between the studies illustrates the lack of standardized methods to assess nutritional status in this population. The assessment of undernutrition must always be preceded by nutritional screening, according to guidelines, which did not take place in some analyzed studies. Teaching Points • Undernutrition risk and undernutrition prevalence are high among pulmonology inpatients. • The heterogeneity between the analyzed studies reveals that there is no standard pattern in the choice of methods for nutritional status assessment in these patients. • Timely screening and identification of undernutrition is of the utmost relevance in earlier nutritional interventions and implementation of nutritional support. • The assessment of undernutrition must always be preceded by nutritional screening, in accordance with guidelines, which did not occur in some of the analyzed studies.
Keywords: malnutrition; nutritional assessment; nutritional status; prevalence; respiratory medicine.