Prevalence of malnutrition and its impact on mortality in internal medicine patients in Spain: an analysis based on...

Although it is known that malnourished patients have a higher risk of death during hospitalization, the diagnosis is not always reflected in discharge reports, and underreporting is common. The aim of this study is to analyze the notification of malnutrition in internal medicine departments and to assess whether the presence of this diagnosis correlates with a higher risk of death.

Data from the Minimum Basic Data Set (MBDS) of patients discharged from internal medicine departments in Spain between 2018 and 2022 were analyzed. Patients with a diagnosis of malnutrition (ICD-10-ES: moderate or mild malnutrition E44.x, E46, severe malnutrition E40.x, E41.x, E42.x, E43.x, R64) were identified, and their demographic and clinical characteristics were analyzed.

3.8% of discharges from internal medicine services have a recorded diagnosis of malnutrition, being more frequent in men (54.4%) and in older patients (81 vs. 80 years). The registration rate has increased over the years of the study (from 3.5% in 2018 to 4.5% in 2022; p < 0.001 for trend). The unadjusted mortality rate was 19.7% for patients with mild malnutrition and 32.5% for those with severe malnutrition codes, compared to 11.45% for patients without malnutrition. After adjusting for comorbidities, patients with severe malnutrition have 3.8 times higher odds of dying.

Malnutrition notification in internal medicine is low and is associated with increased morbidity, mortality, and costs.