[Prevalence of malnutrition in general surgical patients: evaluation of nutritional status and prognosis].
OBJECTIVE
To estimate prevalence of malnutrition on admission to hospital and the relationship between nutritional status and prognosis.


METHODS
Four thousand and twelve patients admitted to general surgery department were evaluated by a lot of nutrition indexes within 48 h. Operative morbidity and complications were recorded to identify the difference between malnourished and well-nourished patients.


RESULTS
Malnutrition rate of all patients according to BMI, TSF, MAC, AMC, albumin, prealbumin, and lymphocyte count was 21.3%, 50.6%, 20.5%, 21.2%, 24.2%, 35.4% and 55.8%, respectively. The prevalence of malnutrition as defined by SGA and MNA were 38.8% and 20.8%. The older patients (> 60 years old) were associated with a higher prevalence of malnutrition (47.6%) compared with those younger than 60 (31.5%). Malnutrition was more frequently occurred in cancer patients than non-oncologic patients (64.5% vs 22.4%). Patients with digestive tract disease had higher rates of malnutrition than those without digestive tract disease (52.6% vs 30.0%). There were large differences in the morbidity and complications between well nourished patients and malnourished patients (4.0% vs 1.1%, P < 0.01 for morbidity; 19.8% vs 5.9% for complications).


CONCLUSIONS
The prevalence of malnutrition in hospitalized surgical patients is high. Malnutrition was associated with increased length of stay, higher operative morbidity and complications.
Wu
Guo-hao
GH
Department of General Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China. wugh@zshospital.net
Liu
Zhong-hua
ZH
Zheng
Lie-wei
LW
Quan
Ying-jun
YJ
Wu
Zhao-han
ZH
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D009748:Nutrition Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009752:Nutritional Status; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D011184:Postoperative Period; D011379:Prognosis; D013514:Surgical Procedures, Operative / Q000401:mortality*