Subjective global assessment in the clinical setting.
BACKGROUND
Our goal was nutrition assessment in hospitalized patients of an internal medicine service.


METHODS
Ours was a longitudinal, prospective, and observational study. Four hundred twelve patients participated in this study using the Subjective Global Assessment (SGA). We used chi(2) for univariate and logistic regression.


RESULTS
Of 412 patients, 47.6% presented with malnutrition: 38.8% with moderate malnutrition (group B), and 8.58% with severe malnutrition (group C). Malnutrition was related to male patients older than 65 years, oncologic and infectious diseases, and length of hospitalization.


CONCLUSIONS
Malnutrition incidence in an internal medical service is high. There is remarkable lack of interest in hospitalized patients' nutrition state. Results show similarities to other studies from Latin America.
Baccaro
Fernando
F
Servicio de Clínica Medica, Complejo Medico-Policial Churruca-Visca, Buenos Aires, Argentina. fbaccaro@2vias.com.ar
Moreno
Jose Balza
JB
Borlenghi
Cecilia
C
Aquino
Leonardo
L
Armesto
Graciela
G
Plaza
Gabriel
G
Zapata
Sandra
S
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001118:Argentina / Q000453:epidemiology; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007239:Infections / Q000150:complications*; D007902:Length of Stay; D016015:Logistic Models; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012737:Sex Factors