Development and implementation of a guide for the assessment of nutrition risk in complex chronic patients in nursing homes

• Autores: Cristina Puivecino Moreno, Victoria Vázquez Vela, Cristina Mora Herrera
• Localización: European journal of clinical pharmacy: atención farmacéutica, ISSN 2385-409X, Vol. 22, Nº. 4, 2020, págs. 5-5
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • Introduction: Malnutrition in complex chronic patients (CCP) hospitalized or institutionalized in nursing homes(NH) may be associated with a greater morbimortality and/or complications. Early nutritional assessment and monitoring during the stay have a positive influence on clinical prognosis.

    Objectives: To develop and implement a Nutritional Risk Assessment Guide (NRAG) in institutionalized CCP. To perform pharmaceutical interventions related to nutritional support. To determine the nutritional prevalence applying the NRAG with proposals for nutritional plan.

    Method: A literature review was carried out to select the information to be included in the NRAG: nutritional needs, nutritional screening, malnutrition risk stratification, indication and selection of enteral nutrition (EN), comprehensive nutritional assessment and nutritional diagnosis. Nutritional screening was done in all patients to estimate the prevalence in the NH.

    Results: Mini Nutritional Assessment Short-Form (MNA-SF®) scale was included as a screening tool in the NRAG, recommendations were established with proposals for the use of EN and pharmaceutical interventions with recommendations for proper nutritional monitoring. The nutritional assessment of the NH patients was performed applying the NRAG. MNA®-SF was recommended to repeat periodically depending on the nutritional status. Estimated nutritional risk prevalence was approximately half of the patients, who were at risk of malnutrition with protein deficiency associated and minimal weight loss. Hyperproteic enteral nutrition was indicated as nutritional support more frequently.

    Conclusions: Implementation of NRAG for the detection of risk malnutrition in CCP in a NH may be a valid instrument for nutritional management, although it must be validated. Pharmacists can be actively participating in providing EN related services to optimize a patient’s nutrition care plan