title: Early malnutrition screening and low cost protein supplementation in elderly patients admitted to a skilled nursing facility.
abstract: Malnutrition among skilled nursing facility (SNF) patients can lead to hospital readmissions and multiple complications.
  
  
  
  To evaluate the effect of an existing malnutrition screening and management program on prealbumin levels of patients in skilled nursing facilities.
  
  
  
  A retrospective design was used to evaluate baseline admission data including a prealbumin level. Patients with malnutrition received an oral protein supplement according to protocol. A comparison prealbumin level was obtained at 30days.
  
  
  
  Nearly half of the patients were severely malnourished on admission. Patients receiving the prescribed protocol had significantly increased prealbumin levels at 30days than those patients that did not receive the protocol as prescribed.
  
  
  
  A prealbumin level upon admission at a SNF could represent a reliable tool to evaluate malnutrition. Initiation of an early malnutrition screening and protein supplement program in this setting is essential to identifying and treating at-risk patients before complications occur.
authors.affiliation: RM Butlig, MD, Inc., Torrance, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Krystal M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Harding
authors.affiliation: California State University, Long Beach, CA, USA. Electronic address: melissa.dyo@csulb.edu.
authors.forename: Melissa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dyo
authors.affiliation: California State University, Long Beach, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Joy R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Goebel
authors.affiliation: California State University, Fullerton, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Nik
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gorman
authors.affiliation: Driftwood Healthcare and Wellness Center, Torrance, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Levine
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004044:Dietary Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000191:economics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000178:diet therapy*; D010359:Patient Readmission; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012866:Skilled Nursing Facilities
chemical_list: D004044:Dietary Proteins
keywords: Elderly; Malnutrition; Oral protein nutritional supplement; Prealbumin; Skilled nursing facilities