Body mass loss and insufficient nutrition are common phenomena among hospitalized elderly patients. These abnormalities can lead to malnutrition, which in turn is associated with frequent complications and increased mortality.
Aim: The aim of study was to check the relationship between body mass loss and insufficient nutrition of patients over 65 with the diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases and the duration of their hospitalization and the incidence of complications over 3, 6 and 12 months since hospitalization.
Materials and methods: 76 patients with cardiovascular conditions were involved in the study. The patients were over 65 years of age. During the study, data on insufficient nutrition and body mass loss of patients were collected. Within 3, 6 and 12 months of observation data concerning the number of re-hospitalizations, the use of antibiotics and the presence of infections and other diseases were gathered.
Results: During the 3 months preceding the study, 75% of patients had a restriction in food intake, and 64% of respondents lost their body mass. It has been demonstrated that the body mass loss of patients has a significant correlation with an increased frequency of complications mainly with those which had occurred within 3 months prior its recording. Whereas insufficient nutrition has a significant predictive value for prolonged hospitalization and is associated with increased frequency of complications, both these occurring over 3 months before its recording and those identified later (excluding the first stage of the study).
Conclusions: Insufficient nutrition of patients is characterized by a higher predictive value for their prolonged hospitalization and occurrence of complications in comparison with body mass loss.
Keywords: body mass loss; complications; decreased food intake; duration of hospitalization.
© 2018 MEDPRESS.