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Malnutrition in the Hospitalized Geriatric Patient
Author(s) -
BIENIA RICHARD,
RATCLIFF SANDRA,
BARBOUR GALEN L.,
KUMMER MARY
Publication year - 1982
Publication title -
journal of the american geriatrics society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.992
H-Index - 232
eISSN - 1532-5415
pISSN - 0002-8614
DOI - 10.1111/j.1532-5415.1982.tb03378.x
Subject(s) - medicine , malnutrition , incidence (geometry) , anemia , pediatrics , geriatrics , physics , psychiatry , optics
The nutritional status of 59 consecutive geriatric male patients admitted to the medical service of a Veterans Administration Hospital was evaluated and compared with that of 93 younger patients admitted during the same period. Protein‐calorie malnutrition was diagnosed in 61 per cent of patients aged 65 or older compared with 28 per cent of patients younger than 65. The death rate and the incidence of infection were higher in the malnourished geriatric patients, as were the prevalences of anemia and skin‐test anergy. In the well‐nourished geriatric patients, however, there was no increase in the incidences of these abnormal findings compared with well‐nourished patients under the age of 65. The presence of malnutrition on admission, regardless of age, predicted a significant increase in the risk of infection or death during the hospital course.