Served versus actual nutrient intake of hospitalised patients with tuberculosis as compared with energy and nutrient

Results. Patients were receiving and consuming sufficient macronutrients (with the exception of protein in all patients) and sufficient micronutrients (with the exceptions of calcium, iodine, folate and vitamin E in all patients, beta-carotene, vitamin C and vitamin D in male patients, and selenium and pantothenate in female patients). Actual intake consumed in the hospital did not differ from that served by the hospital in the case of male patients, with the exception of iodine; for female patients, however, owing to significant plate wastage, consumed intake was less than that served by the hospital (with the exceptions of vitamin C and vitamin K). A total of 52% of the male patients and 71% of the female patients were normally nourished, according to their BMI. The remainder were mildly to severely malnourished on the basis of their BMI. Conclusions. According to current recommendations, the patients institutionalised at Brooklyn Chest Hospital for tuberculosis were receiving inadequate protein and a number of micronutrients (calcium, iodine, folate and vitamin E in all patients, beta-carotene, vitamin C and vitamin D in male patients, and selenium and pantothenate in female patients). Intervention programmes should therefore be introduced as an adjunct to antituberculosis therapy in order to rectify inadequate nutrient intake and to target malnourished patients.