Miss Jade Bosnich1, Mrs Wendy Swan1
1Goulburn Valley Health, Shepparton, Australia
Biography:
Jade Bosnich is an Accredited Practising Dietitian with over five years of clinical experience. She currently works as a clinical dietitian on the Critical Care Unit and General Surgical Ward at Goulburn Valley Health in Shepparton Victoria.
Abstract:
Background:
Malnutrition is widely prevalent in healthcare facilities globally and results in increased length of stay, treatment costs, infection risk, complication rates and mortality. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of malnutrition on the adult acute and subacute wards at Goulburn Valley Health in Victoria.
Methods:
All patients ≥18 years old admitted for a minimum of an overnight stay were included. Malnutrition Screening Tool (MST) and admission weight completion by nurses were audited and a prospective malnutrition screening and nutritional assessment was conducted by dietitians using a validated tool (Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) Framework). Data collection occurred over a single day period per ward.
Results:
Ninety-seven of 142 (68%) eligible patients consented to participate; 56% (n=54) were female and 63% (n=61) were >70 years old. One quarter (24%) of MSTs and 29% of weights were completed by nursing on admission. One third (33%) of patients were at risk of malnutrition. Malnutrition prevalence was 21%. Sixty percent of patients diagnosed with malnutrition had input from dietetics.
Discussion:
Malnutrition screening on admission was low despite the finding of malnutrition risk and prevalence. Low nutritional screening can result in patients at nutritional risk having delayed assessment by a dietitian. This may cause further deterioration of nutritional status and has implications for hospital acquired malnutrition. Future studies to investigate factors underpinning low nutritional screening rates to strengthen processes of malnutrition risk identification on admission should be explored.