He smokes 15 cigarettes a day, and a precautionary CXR shows no abnormality. He has a cut on his left leg that has been very slow to heal. His weight has been stable. A serum zinc will indicate whether zinc supplementation should be prescribed. A full blood count will identify whether the numbness has a nutritional cause.
Canned food can make a useful contribution to a balanced diet in the older patient.
Serum albumin b. Serum B12 and folate c. Professor Public Health, University of Adelaide. Foundation Professor Nutrition and Dietetics, Newcastle University.