title: Benefits of early specialized nutritional support in malnourished patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Disease related malnutrition (DRM) is highly prevalent in Spain, affecting 23% of in-hospital patients, and is associated with clinical complications. Specialized nutritional support (SNS) can reduce these complications.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective study carried out in standard clinical practice conditions to test if SNS during the first 5 days of hospitalization, or subsequently, was associated to a lower length of stay or reduced complications in patients with a NRS-2002 score≥3 points.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the group of patients who initiated early SNS, the length of stay was 8.83 days shorter than in the group with a later introduction (95% CI 3.55-14.10); nevertheless, the higher prevalence of male and oncological patients in this group could have impacted the results. A tendency towards a statistically significant lower mortality rate and a reduced amount of total complications was described.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The early introduction of SNS (within the first 5 days of hospitalization) in patients with DRM was associated with a 32.4% reduction in the length of stay.
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Endocrinología y Nutrición, Complejo Hospitalario de Cáceres, Cáceres, España. Electronic address: jesusmoranlopez@yahoo.es.
authors.forename: Jesús Manuel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Morán López
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Endocrinología y Nutrición, Complejo Hospitalario de Cáceres, Cáceres, España.
authors.forename: Belén
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Beneítez Moralejo
authors.affiliation: Sección de Endocrinología y Nutrición, Hospital Valdecilla, Santander, España.
authors.forename: María
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Piedra León
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Endocrinología y Nutrición, Complejo Hospitalario de Cáceres, Cáceres, España.
authors.forename: Fidel Jesús
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Enciso Izquierdo
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Endocrinología y Nutrición, Hospital Infanta Cristina, Badajoz, España.
authors.forename: Luis Miguel
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Luengo Pérez
authors.affiliation: Sección de Endocrinología y Nutrición, Hospital Valdecilla, Santander, España.
authors.forename: José Antonio
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Amado Señaris
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D018529:Nutritional Support / Q000379:methods*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Complicaciones; Complications; Desnutrición; Estancia media; Length of stay; Malnutrition; Soporte nutricional especializado; Specialized nutritional support