title: Nutrition Risk Screening in Patients Admitted to an Adult Emergency Department of a Brazilian University Hospital.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The prevalence of malnutrition in emergency units is high, and data on the nutrition risk of patients admitted in these units are scarce. The aims of this study are to determine the nutrition risk profile of individuals admitted in an emergency unit and to identify clinical, anthropometric, and laboratory attributes according to nutrition risk classification.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 234 individuals in an emergency unit from 1 university hospital in Brazil were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. The nutrition risk profile was determined using the Nutrition Risk Screening 2002. Sociodemographic, clinical, anthropometric, and laboratory data were collected. Comparisons between individuals "at risk" and "not at risk" and logistic regression analyzes were performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of nutrition risk at admission was 48.7%. Patients at risk were older ( P = .031), were less educated ( P = .022), had a lower body mass index ( P < .001), had higher concentrations of C-reactive protein (CRP; P = .007), had a higher CRP/serum albumin ratio ( P = .004), had lower concentrations of serum albumin ( P = .002), and had severe weight loss ( P < .001). Altogether, this profile resulted in a longer hospital stay ( P = .004), more complications ( P = .005), and greater use of antibiotics ( P = .024). In regression analyses, low serum albumin (odds ratio [OR], 2.75; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.23-6.13) and, higher serum CRP (OR, 1.13; 95% CI, 1.00-3.72), use of antibiotics (OR, 13.3; 95% CI, 1.59-111.16) were predictors of long hospital stay.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of nutrition risk in emergency patients was high and its profile associated with worse clinical, laboratory, and anthropometric outcomes. The use of other laboratory and clinical variables may also be a good strategy for predicting adverse outcomes in emergency units.
authors.affiliation: 1 Polydoro Ernani de São Thiago University Hospital, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil.
authors.forename: Akemi Arenas
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Kami
authors.affiliation: 2 Department of Nutrition, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil.|3 Post-Graduate Program in Nutrition, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fernandes
authors.affiliation: 2 Department of Nutrition, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil.|3 Post-Graduate Program in Nutrition, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil.
authors.forename: Carolina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: de Quadros Camargo
authors.affiliation: 1 Polydoro Ernani de São Thiago University Hospital, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil.
authors.forename: Djuliana Martins
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Corsi
authors.affiliation: 1 Polydoro Ernani de São Thiago University Hospital, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil.|2 Department of Nutrition, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil.
authors.forename: Raquel Kuerten
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: de Salles
authors.affiliation: 2 Department of Nutrition, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil.|3 Post-Graduate Program in Nutrition, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil.
authors.forename: Erasmo Benicio Santos
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: de Moraes Trindade
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003906:Developing Countries; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D005260:Female; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D009752:Nutritional Status; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012306:Risk; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013851:Thinness / Q000209:etiology; D015431:Weight Loss; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: emergency; hospitals; malnutrition; nutrition assessment