title: Incidence of nutritional support complications in patient hospitalized in wards. multicentric study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Nutritional support generates complications that must be detected and treated on time.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To estimate the incidence of some complications of nutritional support in patients admitted to general hospital wards who received nutritional support in six high-complexity institutions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective, descriptive and multicentric study in patients with nutritional support; the variables studied were medical diagnosis, nutritional condition, nutritional support duration, approach, kind of formula, and eight complications.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 277 patients were evaluated; 83% received enteral nutrition and 17% received parenteral nutrition. Some 69.3% presented risk of malnourishment or severe malnourishment at admittance. About 35.4% of those receiving enteral nutrition and 39.6% of the ones who received parenteral nutrition had complications; no significant difference per support was found (p= 0.363). For the enteral nutrition, the most significant complication was the removal of the catheter (14%), followed by diarrhea (8.3%); an association between the duration of the enteral support with diarrhea, constipation and removal of the catheter was found (p < 0.05). For parenteral nutrition, hyperglycemia was the complication of highest incidence (22.9%), followed by hypophosphatemia (12.5%); all complications were associated with the duration of the support (p < 0.05). Nutritional support was suspended in 24.2% of the patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Complications with nutritional support in hospital-ward patients were frequent, with the removal of the catheter and hyperglycemia showing the highest incidence. Duration of the support was the variable that revealed an association with complications. Strict application of protocols could decrease the risk for complications and boost nutritional support benefits.
authors.affiliation: Research Group on Food and Human Nutrition, Universidad de Antioquia, E-mail: gmao@quimbaya.udea.edu.co.
authors.forename: Gloria María
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Agudelo
authors.affiliation: Research Group on Food and Human Nutrition, Universidad de Antioquia, E-mail: gmao@quimbaya.udea.edu.co.
authors.forename: Nubia Amparo
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Giraldo
authors.affiliation: Hospital General de Medellín, E-mail: beatrizrestrepo@une.net.co.
authors.forename: Nora Luz
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Aguilar
authors.affiliation: Hospital General de Medellín, E-mail: beatrizrestrepo@une.net.co.
authors.forename: Beatriz Elena
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Restrepo
authors.affiliation: IPS Universitaria, E-mail: elikace@yahoo.es.
authors.forename: Marcela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vanegas
authors.affiliation: Hospital Pablo Tobón Uribe. E-mail: salzatej@hptu.org.co.
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Alzate
authors.affiliation: Hospital Universitario San Vicente de Paúl, E-mail: monicamar2@yahoo.es.
authors.forename: Mónica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Martínez
authors.affiliation: Instituto Neurológico de Antioquia, Email: sonygamboa@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Sonia Patricia
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Gamboa
authors.affiliation: IPS Universitaria, E-mail: elikace@yahoo.es.
authors.forename: Eliana
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Castaño
authors.affiliation: Clínica Las Américas, E-mail: janebarbosab@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Janeth
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Barbosa
authors.affiliation: Research Group on Food and Human Nutrition, Universidad de Antioquia, E-mail: gmao@quimbaya.udea.edu.co.
authors.forename: Juliana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Román
authors.affiliation: Research Group on Food and Human Nutrition, Universidad de Antioquia, E-mail: gmao@quimbaya.udea.edu.co.
authors.forename: Angela María
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Serna
authors.affiliation: Research Group on Food and Human Nutrition, Universidad de Antioquia, E-mail: gmao@quimbaya.udea.edu.co.
authors.forename: Gloria Marcela
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Hoyos
keywords: Nutritional support; adults; complications; enteral nutrition; hospitalization; parenteral nutrition