COMPLICATIONS AND REFERRALS OF PATIENTS WITH PROTEIN-CALORIE MALNUTRITION.
Contributors: University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Published: 1987
Number of pages: 81
Subjects: Health Sciences, Nursing.; Health Sciences, Nutrition.
Description: Self-care concepts (Orem, 1985) and physiological events of protein-calorie malnutrition (Weinsier & Butterworth, 1981) were interrelated as a framework in order to describe complications sustained by patients classified according to a protein-calorie malnutrition index and nurse reported referral of those patients. A retrospective design was used to study the variables, complications and nurse reported referrals.

Using a sample of randomly selected patients between 20 and 65 years of age with no recorded intake of immunosuppressive drugs, 100 subjects were classified according to admission serum albumin levels and total lymphocyte counts. Demographic, biochemical, and variable data were recorded on a patient profile and analyzed by use of descriptive statistics.

The subjects were predominantly white, female, medical patients between the ages of 60-65 years. Of 100 patients, 63 had serum albumin levels and/or total lymphocyte counts indicating mild, moderate, or severe protein-calorie malnutrition at time of admission according to a protein-calorie malnutrition index. Thirty-seven patients sustained one or more of 52 complications in eight categories. Of the 52 complications, 41 were sustained by patients with some degree of protein-calorie malnutrition.

Reported complications were extended hospitalization, infection, hematological disorders, fever, decubiti, atelectasis, pleural effusion, and death. Of 100 subjects, 63 of whom had some degree of malnutrition at admission, none had reported nutritional referrals by nurses.

The findings indicated that patients who were malnourished on admission and who sustained complications associated with malnutrition were not referred by nurses for nutrition care. Additional findings indicated that few nurses recorded admission height and weight, usual weight, serial weights, nutritional assessment, nutritional history, and comments regarding nutritional status.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 49-04, Section: B, page: 1089.

Thesis (D.S.N.)--UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM, 1987.

School code: 0005.