Description
Assessment of nutritional status is essential if
nutritional problems are to be recognized.
Undernourishment is a major concern, as it is poorly
recognized in the hospital setting, correlates with a poor
outcome, and cannot be reversed rapidly. There is no single
parameter that accurately measures nutritional status, but
the patients history and examination, in conjunction with
appropriate measures of body composition, functional testing
and laboratory tests, all reflect aspects of nutritional status
and should form part of the clinical assessment. This paper
discusses how these factors reflect nutritional status and how
they can be used to identify patients at nutritional risk.
