Fattori che influenzano lo screening nutrizionale nei pazienti ricoverati in ospedali per acuti: un'indagine di prevalenza regionale (2017).

BACKGROUND the prevalence of malnutrition among hospitalized patients varies between 19.8% and 50%, with approximately 31% of all hospital patients considered malnourished or at nutritional risk, both in European and in Italian hospitals. Nutritional screening is necessary to identify nutrition-related problems, but it is not largely performed at the admission or during hospitalization. OBJECTIVES to identify factors associated with the probability of performing nutritional screening during hospitalization and to describe BMI among inpatients in acute facilities of Friuli Venezia Giulia (FVG) Region (Northern Italy). DESIGN point prevalence survey. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS the study was conducted in all the 18 hospitals of the FVG regional healthcare system; 58 trained surveyors collected data from 2nd to 30th October 2017. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES weight and height, presence of parenteral and enteral nutrition data of 2,553 patients were collected. RESULTS BMI was determinable for 77.2% of people under study. Negative predictors for BMI screening were: spoke hospital (p<0.001), age over 65 years (p=0.005), both 'ultimately fatal' (p<0.001) and 'rapidly fatal' (p<0.001) McCabe score, presence of minimally invasive surgery (p=0.02); major surgery was a positive predictor (p<0.001). Prevalence of parenteral and enteral nutrition prescription was 4.0% and 3.6%, respectively; statistical differences were found according to care units and McCabe score (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS globally, BMI for inpatients in the surveyed hospitals is often assessed, but more investigations are needed to understand the reasons why the reported differences exist.