title: Prevalence of hospital malnutrition among cardiac patients: results from six nutrition screening tools.
abstract: Malnutrition is highly prevalent among hospitalized patients, ranging from 30% to 50% depending on the patient population and the criteria used for diagnosis. Identifying early those who are malnourished and at risk of malnutrition and intervening at an early stage will improve patients overall prognosis and will reduce the costs to the state. Even though cardiac patients are at risk of malnutrition, data on the prevalence of malnutrition among cardiology inpatients is limited. The aim of the study was to assess malnutrition status of the newly admitted patients in a specialist cardiology institution in Sri Lanka by internationally recommended nutrition screening and assessment tools. During study period, 322 (61.22%) males and 204 (38.78%) females were recruited. Malnutrition status assessed by each screening tool had a wide variation. According to Mini Nutritional Assessment tool 69.6% were having possible malnutrition. Malnutrition Screening Tool 47.9% to be at risk of malnutrition. Subjective Global Assessments categorized only 4.2% as malnourished on the other hand Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool categorized 20.4% and 19.6% subjects as at medium risk and high risk of malnutrition respectively. Nutritional Risk Screening detected 6.3%, 25.1% and 24.9% patients to be mildly, moderately and severely malnourished respectively. Short Nutrition Assessment Questionnaire categorized 5.0% and 17.7% patients to be moderately malnourished and severely malnourished correspondingly. In conclusion, Although malnutrition was prevalent among this population, a wide variation in the nutritional status when assessed by widely used internationally recognized tools was observed.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cardiology, National Hospital of Sri Lanka, Colombo, Sri Lanka.
authors.forename: Anidu K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Pathirana
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cardiology, National Hospital of Sri Lanka, Colombo, Sri Lanka ; Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Allied Sciences, Rajarata University of Sri Lanka, Mihintale, Sri Lanka.
authors.forename: Niroshan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Lokunarangoda
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cardiology, National Hospital of Sri Lanka, Colombo, Sri Lanka.
authors.forename: Ishara
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ranathunga
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cardiology, National Hospital of Sri Lanka, Colombo, Sri Lanka.
authors.forename: Wijeyasingam Samuel
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Santharaj
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cardiology, National Hospital of Sri Lanka, Colombo, Sri Lanka.
authors.forename: Ruwan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ekanayake
authors.affiliation: Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD Australia ; Diabetes Research Unit, Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo, Colombo, Sri Lanka.
authors.forename: Ranil
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jayawardena
keywords: Cardiac patients; Developing country; Malnutrition; Nutrition screening tools; Sri Lanka