Abstract

BOLET ASTOVIZA, Miriam; SOCARRAS SUAREZ, María Matilde  and  RODRIGUEZ FERNANDEZ, Teresa. Nutritional evaluation of geriatric patients at “General Calixto García” Teaching Hospital. Rev Cubana Invest Bioméd [online]. 2004, vol.23, n.4, pp. 235-241. ISSN 1561-3011.

147 aged patients were studied at “General Calixto García” Teaching Hospital in 1999 to determine the nutritional status of these patients, to assess the percentage of weight loss and to evaluate their nutrition previous to admission. Anthropometric measurements and biochemical tests were performed and a semiquantitative survey of consumption frequency was done. The malnourished patients were represented in the group aged 80 and over, accounting for 45.4 %. The oldest patients presented a more severe nutritional status. All the patients lost weight, but the malnourished lost more (> 30 %), accounting for 56.5 %. The commonest complication was iron-deficiency anemia. Most of the surveyed patients did not fulfill the nutritional recommendations for energy (98.4 %) and  proteins (72.8 %). There was independence between the  nutritional status and the fulfillment of the nutritional recommendations regarding energy and proteins. It was concluded that the nutrition of the studied aged patients was not adequate and that it was necessary to pay more attention to patients at that age.

Keywords : Nutritional status; weight loss percentage; semiquantitative consumption frequency survey.

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