Assessment of nutritional status of patients with COPD in the hospital

Abstract

The impaired nutritional status is the most common extrapulmonary manifestation of COPD. Malnutrition occurs in 25-40% of patients and increases with the progression of the disease, in some cases overweight or obesity is observed. According to the regulation of the Ministry of Health the nutritional status of patients’ should be assessed in each hospital ward in Poland. The aim of this study was to evaluate the nutritional status of COPD patients hospitalized in the Department of Internal Medicine between January 1, 2016 and December 31, 2016, and also analyze how the nutritional status was investigated by hospital physicians and caused the appropriate nutritional intervention. A retrospective analysis of medical records of 145 COPD patients was performed. Nutritional status assessed by NRS-2002 was used in 29% patients, including 20% of patients with BMI 30. Anthropometric nutritional assessment at the time of admission to the Clinic was performed in 60.7% of patients. BMI >25 were found in 31.7% patients, respectively BMI >30 in 15.9%, BMI 25. Nutritional support was made in barely in 10% of patients and the dietary intervention related to the change in diet in 16.7% of patients with BMI 30, despite the recommendations of such treatment. Among those who had a nutritional intervention there was only one person indicated by NRS 2002. There was any medical record of prescribing oral nutritional supplements. The study showed that the assessment of nutritional status and the related nutritional intervention are extremely rarely used in clinical practice in COPD patients.