What is the nutritional status of your patients suffering from strokes

Strokes can significantly affect the autonomy and the ability of the patient to feed properly. Malnutrition after strokes increases the length of stay in hospital, increases mortality and aggravates disability. Nutritional support is a therapeutic that can be useful in the management of strokes and during the rehabilitation period. It may help to reduce the occurrence of complications due to the physical dependence associated with this condition. The objective of our study was to evaluate, through a questionnaire, the opinion of prescribing doctors working in the Department of Neurology of The FANN National Teaching Hospital in Dakar. The interest of the question resides in the fact that the Center does not have a dedicated nutritionist for inpatients. This was an opinion poll about their concerns about the nutritional status of patients in the therapeutic projects they propose during the stroke. The type of the chosen opinion poll was elementary, type random. The questionnaire was individual and consisted of five items of single-response and multiple-choice questions. The results of this study reveal that while the nutritional status of patients with limited autonomy in the service was a concern in the intentions of the prescribers, in practice it was not taken into account in therapeutic projects. To date, no structured protocol is available in cases of proven nutritional deterioration in patients. Nutritional management must be integrated into the overall management of Neurology patients, particularly in elderly victims of strokes.