title: Nutritional status and feeding practices in gastrointestinal surgery patients at Bach Mai Hospital, Hanoi, Vietnam.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The nutritional status and hospital feeding practices of surgical patients in Vietnam are not well documented. Based on a cross-sectional study at Bach Mai Hospital (BMH), the prevalence of malnutrition was found to be 33% in the surgical ward using a body mass index (BMI<18.5 kg/m(2). We conducted an observational study over a three month period to evaluate the feeding practices in the gastrointestinal (GI) surgery ward at Bach Mai Hospital (BMH) in Hanoi, Vietnam.
  
  
  METHODS
  Investigators from the U.S. and the Vietnamese National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) enrolled 72 subjects admitted for elective GI surgery in an observational study at BMH. Baseline anthropometrics and changes over time, body mass index (BMI), Subjective Global Assessment (SGA) and daily kcal and protein intake from oral diet, tube feeding, and parenteral nutrition (PN) from admission until discharge were documented.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 50% of subjects scored a B or C on the SGA; 48% of subjects had a BMI<18.5, while mean mid upper arm circumference was in the lownormal range (24±4 cm). Nearly all patients (98%) were given PN postoperatively, with oral feeding starting on an average of postoperative day 4. Only one patient was tube fed. Mean daily total calorie intake was 15 kcal/kg/day and protein intake was 0.61 g/kg/day during hospitalization. Micronutrient supplementation was minimal in subjects receiving PN.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hospital malnutrition in surgical patients in Vietnam is a significant problem, peri-operative feeding appears suboptimal and use of early postoperative PN was routine.
authors.affiliation: Boston University Medical Center and School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Email: Lorrie.young@bmc.org.
authors.forename: Lorraine S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Young
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Nutrition, Hanoi, Vietnam.
authors.forename: Pham Thi Thu
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Huong
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Nutrition, Hanoi, Vietnam.
authors.forename: Nguyen Thi
authors.initials: NT
authors.lastname: Lam
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Nutrition, Hanoi, Vietnam.
authors.forename: Nghiem Nguyet
authors.initials: NN
authors.lastname: Thu
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Nutrition, Hanoi, Vietnam.
authors.forename: Ha Thi
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Van
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Nutrition, Hanoi, Vietnam.
authors.forename: Nguyen Lien
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Hanh
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Nutrition, Hanoi, Vietnam.
authors.forename: Le Danh
authors.initials: le D
authors.lastname: Tuyen
authors.affiliation: Clinical Nutrition Center, Bach Mai Hospital, Hanoi Vietnam.
authors.forename: Dinh Thi Kim
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Lien
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Bach Mai Hospital, Hanoi Vietnam.
authors.forename: Tran Hieu
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Hoc
authors.affiliation: Clinical Nutrition Center, Bach Mai Hospital, Hanoi Vietnam.
authors.forename: Chu Thi
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Tuyet
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Bach Mai Hospital, Hanoi Vietnam.
authors.forename: Nguyen Quoc
authors.initials: NQ
authors.lastname: Anh
authors.affiliation: Boston University Medical Center and School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: Elizabeth G
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Henry
authors.affiliation: Boston University Medical Center and School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: Carine M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Lenders
authors.affiliation: Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: Kathleen M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Gura
authors.affiliation: Boston University Medical Center and School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: Sherman J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Bigornia
authors.affiliation: Boston University Medical Center and School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: Caroline M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Apovian
authors.affiliation: Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Lipids, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
authors.forename: Thomas R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Ziegler
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D013505:Digestive System Surgical Procedures; D002149:Energy Intake; D005248:Feeding Methods; D005260:Female; D041981:Gastrointestinal Tract / Q000601:surgery*; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009751:Nutritional Requirements; D009752:Nutritional Status; D010288:Parenteral Nutrition; D011182:Postoperative Care / Q000379:methods; D014744:Vietnam / Q000453:epidemiology