Dr Francesco Branca, Director of the Department of Nutrition for Health and Development at the World Health Organisation (WHO) says more must be done to ensure people have access to the right foods.
Hospital malnutrition, which is a global issue, can be easily avoided, according to Omy Naidoo, co-founder of Newtricion Wellness Dieticians. He says the situation is particularly bad in South Africa, and this could be attributed to the prevalence of infectious diseases like HIV and TB are high and where half of the population experiences food insecurity, meaning patients already have a backfoot when arriving at hospitals with severe malnutrition.
Hospital malnutrition basically occurs when a patient is admitted because of an illness, and the symptoms of the illness can lead to poor nutrition intake.
In hospital environments, patients are often immobile, causing them to become malnourished and lose muscle mass. As muscle mass is lost, the immune system declines, impacting survival and functionality after admission, Naidoo told IOL Lifestyle.
“Studies have shown that patients who are malnourished have a 3-fold increased risk of death in that admission compared to well-nourished patients. Malnourished patients have a 73 % higher cost of admission and are more likely to develop serious infections as well as longer hospital stays compared to well-nourished patients.”
What can cause this condition to develop?
He points out that when a person is sick in the hospital, symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting, and loss of appetite contribute to the low intake of nutrients that your body needs to fight illness by changing the taste in your mouth. Because of these factors, nutritious food consumption decreases, while your body still requires more protein and calories.
Although the medical or surgical needs of inpatients are frequently given priority, there is often not enough attention paid to nutritional intake, even though nutrition is without a doubt a crucial factor in how patients respond to treatment when they are ill, Naidoo said in conversation.
“Malnutrition can delay recovery, and increase complications,” he said.
Based on the results of the recognized international standard tool/questionnaire nutritionists can determine the best course of action for meeting your body's nutritional needs
“Hospital malnutrition can go unnoticed because its effects are difficult to see right away, so it's easy for this problem to be overlooked.”
Who is most likely to be affected by hospital malnutrition?
Adults are most likely to be affected by hospital malnutrition and anybody that is hospitalized for more than a week or someone with multiple medical conditions. The more medical conditions you have, the more likely you are to be affected by hospital malnutrition because all of these conditions affect your nutritional requirements.
What can be done to mitigate the negative effects of malnutrition?
“We advocate for better nutrition education among doctors so that when they treat patients in the community they are also aware of the nutritional problems that come along”, said Naidoo.
While the intention may be to cheer them up, as dieticians we frequently see people bringing their loved ones chocolates and sweets but patients usually need more protein like yogurt and or fish. Therefore, we also need to be aware of what we bring to our loved ones. If your loved one is having trouble eating while in the hospital, the staff may also be having trouble with patients who refuse to eat.
Your responsibility as the visitor or caregiver is to consider how you can help in this situation; effective treatment is achieved when healthcare teams collaborate holistically, asserts Naidoo.
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