title: PREVALENCE AND COSTS OF MALNUTRITION IN HOSPITALIZED DYSPHAGIC PATIENTS: A SUBANALYSIS OF THE PREDYCES STUDY.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  dysphagia and malnutrition are conditions that frequently appear together in hospitalized patients.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  the main purpose of this study was to analyze the prevalence of malnutrition in patients with dysphagia included in the PREDyCES study as well as to determine its clinical and economic consequences.
  
  
  METHODS
  this is a substudy of an observational, cross-sectional study conducted in 31 sites all over Spain.
  
  
  RESULTS
  352 dysphagic patients were included. 45.7% of patients presented with malnutrition (NRS-2002 ≥ 3) at admission and 42.2% at discharge. In elderly patients (≥ 70 years old) prevalence of malnutrition was even higher: 54.6% at admission and 57.5% at discharge. Also, prevalence of malnutrition was higher in urgent admissions versus those scheduled (45.7% vs 33.3%; p < 0.05) and when admitted to small hospitals vs. large hospitals (62.8% vs 43.9%; p < 0.001). In-hospital length of stay was higher in malnourished patients compared to those well-nourished (11.5 ± 7.1 days vs. 8.8 ± 6.05 days; p < 0.001), and in malnourished patients a tendency towards increase related-costs was also observed, even though it was not statistically significant (8 004 ± 5 854 € vs. 6 967 ± 5 630 €; p = 0.11). Length of stay was also higher in elderly patients (≥ 70 y/o) vs adults (< 70 y/o). 25% of dysphagic patients and 34.6% of malnourished patients with dysphagia received nutritional support during hospitalization.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  these results confirm that in patients with dysphagia, malnutrition is a prevalent and under recognized condition, that also relates to prolonged hospitalizations.
authors.affiliation: Hospital Universitario Príncipe de Asturias, Madrid.. Julia.alvarez@movistar.es.
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Álvarez Hernández
authors.affiliation: Clinical Nutrition Unit, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre.. Julia.alvarez@movistar.es.
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: León Sanz
authors.affiliation: Escola de Ciències de la Salut, Universitat de Vic, Barcelona.. Julia.alvarez@movistar.es.
authors.forename: Mercè
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Planas Vilá
authors.affiliation: Medical Affairs, Nestlé Health Science, Barcelona.. Julia.alvarez@movistar.es.
authors.forename: Krysmarú
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Araujo
authors.affiliation: Hospital Universitario La Paz, Madrid.. Julia.alvarez@movistar.es.
authors.forename: Abelardo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: García de Lorenzo
authors.affiliation: Hospital Clínico Universitario Lozano Blesa, Zaragoza. Spain.. Julia.alvarez@movistar.es.
authors.forename: Sebastián
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Celaya Pérez
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003680:Deglutition Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008136:Longevity; D008297:Male; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D018529:Nutritional Support; D015995:Prevalence; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult