[Not Available]

Area of Science:

• Clinical Nutrition
• Hospital Medicine
• Public Health

Background:

• Hospital-acquired malnutrition is a long-standing and prevalent issue, affecting 20-50% of patients in Mexico.
• Despite its frequency, the prevalence and impact of hospital malnutrition on patient morbidity and mortality remain understudied in Mexico.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the nutritional status of Mexican patients.
• To determine the association between nutritional status and hospital morbidity and mortality.

Main Methods:

• A prospective cohort study included 610 patients admitted to a referral hospital for over 5 days.
• Data collected included weight, height, Body Mass Index (BMI), and nutritional status via Subjective Global Assessment (SGA) at admission and discharge.
• Medical diagnosis, complications, and mortality were recorded and analyzed using Student's t-test, Chi-square, and Fisher's Exact tests.

Main Results:

• Of 610 patients, 154 (25.2%) were identified as malnourished or suspected of malnutrition.
• Malnourished patients had a significantly higher risk of morbidity (RR = 2.70, 95% CI [2.06-3.55]) and mortality (RR = 2.64, 95% CI [1.74-4.0]).
• Both increased risks were statistically significant (p = 0.001).

Conclusions:

• Diagnosing malnutrition upon hospital admission is a significant risk factor for developing complications and mortality.
• Patients admitted with malnutrition face a 2.64 times higher risk of mortality compared to well-nourished patients.
• Addressing hospital malnutrition is critical for improving patient outcomes and reducing healthcare burden.