[Status of feeding services at Spanish hospitals with dietetic and clinical nutrition unit]

Nutrition at the hospital is substantial to the evolution of the disease. The number of diets in the surveyed hospital ranged between 15 and 70 and was not influenced by the hospital number of beds. The proportion of basal and therapeutic diets is similar (about 50% each), although the number of "special" diets increase with the hospital size. The average periodicity of menus is 14 days, while the optional "menu" is lower in bigger hospitals. The knowledge of the Diet Code in different hospitals is how between physicians and nurses in relation to other health and service professionals. The computerized ordering of diets is higher in those hospitals with more than 1500 beds (66%) and the manual request ranges between 65% and 80% in those with 200 to 1500 beds. Most hospitals have a centralised distribution system with a isothermal tray.