Protein-calorie malnutrition in geriatric patients: diagnosis and treatment at the outpatient level
Faintuch, J.; Chaib, E.; Mester, M.; Gama-Rodrigues, J.J.; Machado, M.C.; Scheinman, M.; Pinotti, H.W.
Revista do Hospital das Clinicas 40(4): 172-176
1985
ISSN/ISBN: 0041-8781 PMID: 3938562 Document Number: 250582
Protein-caloric malnutrition can be a problem of considerable magnitude in elderly patients, as a consequence of gastrointestinal diseases or their treatment. In addition to other organic insufficiencies, which become more frequent in this age group, there are dietary environmental, social and psychological factors, to produce deficiencies of various macro and micronutrients. Their major consequence will be observed during hospitalizations. Since intensive rehabilitation of severe nutritional disturbances is considered to be a complex and expensive procedure, it is justified to investigate the possibility of preventive treatment of lesser protein deficits on an outpatient basis, through progressive replacement of the body's composition, before the observed changes become more serious. In the current study a group of geriatric patients of the department of surgery of the digestive tract were nutritionally assessed, and those cases suffering from mild or moderate malnutrition were given an oral nutritional supplementation during 30 days. The results demonstrated adequate tolerance to the regimen and favorable changes of body weight and albumin concentration. It is concluded that ambulatory replenishment of protein deficits represents a useful alternative for the management of the elderly patients with moderate degrees of protein and caloric deficits.