Malnutrition in hospitals

- Traditionally, hospital cuisine is known to be light and low in energy so that it is gentle on a patient’s digestive system and can help restore general health. It is a fact that malnutrition can prevent the body from healing, and in some cases, undernourishment is often not diagnosed until it has already done damage. Malnutrition is a high risk factor for further health complications, mortality and increased days in hospital, costing the healthcare system billions every year.

It is therefore essential that, especially in hospitals, sufficient and well-balanced nourishment is guaranteed and that a patient’s weight is regularly checked. In reality, this isn’t often the case. A quarter of all hospital patients are already malnourished when submitted into hospital care. Depending on the department, between 30% and 80% of hospital patients will lose weight during the course of their therapy. Various studies have shown that these patients are more sensitive towards infections and need intensified care. They are also prone to more frequent wound-healing disorders, as well as to developing decubitus. Malnourished patients are also in worse psychological shape than patients with healthy nourishment. On average, undernourished patients remain in hospitals 50% longer and the risk of dying from their illness is 12 times higher.

There are many reasons for malnutrition and undernourishment: acute and energy-draining diseases such as large injuries or burns, bad infections and long-term disease patterns, such as tumors can be risk factors. Psychological parameters, such as appetite deficiency or the inability to provide and prepare meals, can also lead to health issues. In hospitals, malnutrition can arise when an individual’s needs and preferences are not taken into account and additional drinks or supplements are not optimally applied.

The older and more multi-morbid a patient is, the higher the risk factor becomes for suffering from malnutrition. According to a geriatric study at Uniklinik Cologne, more than 80% of all patients over 80 years of age are undernourished. At this age, a loss of the ability to taste as well as a loss of appetite can advance the basic illness. Many patients’ limited mobility will further complicate the ability to check body weight and identify malnutrition.

For patient groups that are especially hard to mobilise, seca offers various chair scales that enable weighing options in a comfortable seating position. The seca-chair scales are adapted to fit the patient’s individual needs during regular check ups in hospitals. The basic model seca 956 combines precision, high quality and an intuitive usability. It can carry up to 200 kg and is segmented into steps of 100 g, and can therefore weigh overweight patients easily and without complications. The scale’s battery power sets flexible mobility standards, as the patient no longer has to be brought to the scale and the device can be carried to the patient. The seca 956 is also equipped with a tare and hold function to simplify procedures. With the tare-function, every newly added weight can be individually measured while the hold-function offers the possibility for the examiner to take his time discussing details with the patient before reading the weight.

More demanding users can benefit from the seca 959 which distinguishes itself through high ergonomics, an extended array of functions as well as a larger measuring area. Alongside the tare and hold functions, it can also calculate the body mass index (BMI). With its maximum capacity of 300 kg and segmentation of 50 g steps up to a weight of 150 kg, the seca 959 is a universal apparatus. The device can be used for children and adolescent medicine, as well as for very overweight patients. To enable efficient and easy use, the seca 959 is equipped with the seca 360° wireless technology, which enables wireless communication with other seca 360° wireless devices. With the push of a button, the measuring data is transmitted to a computer or printer. If necessary, the information can be transferred into a patient-data-management-system (PDMS) which simplifies documenting the process and avoids transfer errors.

As measuring a patient’s body weight and body mass index (BMI) are not enough to make a diagnosis of undernourishment or malnutrition, seca has developed the seca mBCA 525 for further analysis of bedridden patients. This mobile device offers the bioelectrical impedance analysis. Through this method, a patient’s exact body composition can be determined quickly and easily. The seca mBCA 525 can distinguish between muscle mass and fat tissue as well as complete body fluids. The bioelectrical impedance analysis, together with the patient’s weight and BMI, can give valuable insights into the patient’s nutrition status and fluid balance.

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