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Malnutrition and Hospital Prognosis in the Alcoholic Patient
Author(s) -
Bienia Richard,
Ratcliff Sandra,
Barbour Galen L.,
Kummer Mary
Publication year - 1982
Publication title -
journal of parenteral and enteral nutrition
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.935
H-Index - 98
eISSN - 1941-2444
pISSN - 0148-6071
DOI - 10.1177/0148607182006004301
Subject(s) - malnutrition , medicine , incidence (geometry) , anemia , population , alcoholic hepatitis , mortality rate , pediatrics , alcoholic liver disease , environmental health , physics , cirrhosis , optics
The nutritional status of 65 alcoholic patients admitted to the Medical Service of a Veterans Administration Hospital was evaluated and compared to that of 87 nonalcoholic patients admitted during the same period of time. There was no statistical difference in the prevalence of malnutrition in the alcoholic population (36.9%) when compared to the nonalcoholic population (43.7%). The death rate and incidence of infection were similar in both populations as was the prevalence of anemia, depressed total lymphocyte count, and skin test anergy. Malnutrition, however, correlated with an increased death rate and incidence of infection, regardless of whether the patient was an alcoholic or not.