title: Malnutrition and Laboratory Markers in Geriatric Patients. A Comparison of Neurologic-psychiatric, Internal and Trauma Surgical Diseases.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  There is minimal information on malnutrition in neurologic-psychiatric patients compared to internal and trauma-surgical patients. The aim of the present study was to explore if there is a correlation of these different disease groups with the nutritional assessment and biochemical markers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross - sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was done in a department of geriatric medicine with subspecialisation in neurologic diseases and stroke unit. 338 patients (m / f = 136 / 202, mean age 81.4 ± 7.3 years) were evaluated.
  
  
  METHODS
  The nutritional status was evaluated by using the short form of the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA-SF) and seven biochemical markers (hemoglobin, iron, ferritin, vitamin B 12, folic acid, albumin and cholinesterase) were measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 74 (22%) patients with MNA ≤ 7 points (malnutrition), 148 (44%) patients with an MNA 8 - 11 points (risk of malnutrition) and 116 (34%) patients with an MNA ≥ 12 points (good nutritional status). The mean MNA score of the three major disease groups trauma-surgery, internal medicine and neurology-psychiatry was 9.1 ± 3.2 vs. 9.9 ± 3.1 vs. 10.0 ± 2.8 (p=0.236). There were significant differences of laboratory markers between the disease groups. A deficit of albumin, cholinesterase and hemoglobin was found more often in trauma-surgical and internal patients than in neurological-psychiatric patients (albumin: 21.4%, 15.7%, 5.3%; p=0.001; cholinesterase 16.7%, 16.9%, 6.3%; p=0.007; hemoglobin 78.6%, 61.4%, 50.0%; p=0.002).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Following Mini Nutritional Assessment, the additional measurement of albumin, cholinesterase and hemoglobin allowed a more precise grading of malnutrition. There were significant differences between the disease groups. A deficit of albumin, cholinesterase and hemoglobin was found more often in multimorbid trauma-surgical and internal patients than in neurologic-psychiatric patients.
authors.affiliation: Franz Stefan Schreiber M.D. Department of Geriatrics, St. Marien Hospital, Teaching Hospital of the University of Aachen Medical School, Hospitalstrasse 44, 52353 Düren, Germany, Phone: 01149 - 2421 - 805657, Fax: 01149 - 2421 - 8057079, Email:fsschreiber@t-online.de.
authors.forename: F S
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Schreiber
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Becker
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Deckert
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Elsbernd
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Isensee
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002802:Cholinesterases / Q000097:blood; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D013502:General Surgery; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007388:Internal Medicine; D008297:Male; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications*; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications*; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications*; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D009752:Nutritional Status; D010361:Patients; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000032:analysis; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000601:surgery*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D006454:Hemoglobins; D012709:Serum Albumin; D002802:Cholinesterases