title: [Prevalence and factors associated to malnutrition in patients admitted to a medium-long stay hospital].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the prevalence of hyponutrition at admission at a mid- to long-term stay hospital. To analyze the possible factors associated to hyponutrition; the possible relationship with mortality at one month, and the treatments for hyponutrition performed.
  
  
  METHODS
  Descriptive study from the laboratory data obtained in 140 patients. For diagnosing hyponutrition, a tool based on albumin, total cholesterol, and lymphocytes levels was used. Demographical (age and gender) and clinical data (presence of pressure soars, nasogastric tube, dementia, neoplasm, previous admission to the ICU, and main diagnosis) were gathered at admission as well as the mortality at the first month. The treatments used for hyponutrition were reviewed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  patients' age was 77.1 years and 63% were females. 17.1% of the patients presented normal nutritional status, 50.7% met the criteria for mild hyponutrition, 26.4% of moderate hyponutrition, and 5.7% of severe hyponutrition. We found no association between hyponutrition and gender, nasogastric tube, soars, dementia or neoplasm, but we did so with age (P = 0.033). We found a relationship between moderate-severe hyponutrition and pressure soars (P = 0.036). We found an association between hyponutrition and mortality at one month (OR = 1.357, 95% CI 1.121 to 1.643; P = 0.02). 35.6% of the patients with moderate-severe hyponutrition received therapy for this condition (28.9% with protein supplements and 6.7% with enteral diet).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  hyponutrition affects most of the patients admitted to a mid to long-term stay hospitals and is associated with higher mortality. One third of hyponutrition patients receive nutritional therapy.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Medicina Interna, Hospital Universitario San Rafael, Granada, España. apardoc05@yahoo.es
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Pardo Cabello
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bermudo Conde
authors.forename: M V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Manzano Gamero
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007441:Intubation, Gastrointestinal; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications; D018529:Nutritional Support / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003668:Pressure Ulcer / Q000150:complications; D012737:Sex Factors