The Impact of Nutritional Status on Patients with Pneumonia: A Retrospective Study
Year: 2019
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Background: Malnutrition risk is elevated amongst patients hospitalized with pneumonia; it's relevance to patient outcome has not been fully determined. The Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST) is a well validated tool for malnutrition screening in hospitalized patients. Objectives: To assess whether malnutrition is an independent risk factor associated with mortality. Methods: The study included all patients during 2008-2011, who were hospitalized in internal medicine departments because of pneumonia and underwent screening by MUST. Data were retrieved from electronic medical records and included: MUST score, Charlson Co-Morbidity (CCI) score, in-hospital mortality and five-year mortality. Results: The trial enrolled 507 patients; 219 (43%) females, mean age of 71.4 +/-17.3 years, 34.91% at risk for malnutrition. The bivariate analysis in hospital mortality was 3.38 times (CI 2-5.73, p<0.001) higher in patients with a MUST score of 2 or more than in patients with a MUST score of less than 2 (23.2% vs. 8.2% respectively). In-hospital mortality was significantly higher in patients older than 70 years of age, with a higher CCI and lower albumin levels. On multivariate analysis: age, high MUST, CCI, and low albumin were found to be significantly associated with higher mortality rates. Patients with a MUST score of 2 or more and a CCI of 1 or 2 had significantly higher five years mortality rates (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Pneumonia patients at risk for malnutrition had higher in- hospital and five years mortality rates than patients not at increased risk for malnutrition.
Language: English
Subfield: Physiology (medical)
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W2934048480