[Assessment of nutritional status. One year's experience]

The nutritional assessment of patients under parenteral nutrition is a highly important parameters. Since March 1988, our Pharmacy Service has been performing routine assessments on these patients starting on the day of admission and at weekly intervals thereafter, in order to correct any possible malnutrition states, and to start the most appropriate nutritional therapy.

A nurse from the Pharmacy Service is in charge of measuring all the anthropometric parameters. The pharmacist responsible for P.N. evaluates the nutritional condition and nutritional needs of parenteral nutrition patients. Each patient and his nutritional needs are evaluated on an individual basis. Patient follow-up is performed according to a well established protocol, and the preparation, dispensing and control of nutrient units are monitored. Nutritional state assessment includes the following points: Patient clinical history: weight loss over 10%, anorexia, current food intake, previous history, clinical condition, disease or surgery, losses, medication, etc. Physical exam: anthropometric measurements, patient general appearance, muscle mass, nervous system. Biochemical data: in order to determine the course of lean body mass, protein synthesis, immunocompetence and stress index. Malnutrition has been classified in two different ways: qualitative, etc.