Observations on the practice of clinical nutrition in hospitals in China

Observations and interaction with physicians and surgeons in four Chinese medical institutions visited during 1983 are discussed in three broad areas: teaching activities and discussions comparing modern Western theory and practice in clinical nutrition with that in China; clinical rounds involving discussion of the nutritional problems of patients with a variety of diseases; a survey of hospital nutrition support practices in China. Difficulties in auditing the prevalence of hospital-associated malnutrition in these hospitals are discussed. Controlled, independent observations are required to estimate the incidence of hospital-associated malnutrition in China. While clinical nutrition has received little attention in medical training in China, the Chinese are eager for more educational input.