XXXX in hospital: the clinical and economic implications.

@entity1 @entity7634 @entity3147
BACKGROUND: Undernutrition and @entity3147 are common in hospitalized @entity1 . Their combined prevalence on admission is estimated at 25% and is rising. METHODS: Selective literature review with special consideration of current guidelines and meta-analyses. RESULTS: The nutritional state of every @entity1 should be assessed on admission with simple, established parameters, and @entity1 suffering from under- or @entity3147 should be treated with a targeted nutritional intervention based on the established stepwise treatment algorithm. Under- and @entity3147 are an independent risk and cost factor with a significant influence on mortality, morbidity, length of hospital stay, and quality of life. Their direct costs alone amount to some 9 billion @entity7634 in Germany each year. Therapeutic trials and meta-analyses have clearly documented the therapeutic benefit and cost-effectiveness of oral nutritional supplements and tube feeds. Targeted nutritional intervention is an integral part of medical treatment and prevention. CONCLUSION: Undernutrition and @entity3147 are common in hospitalized @entity1 and are both medically and economically harmful. If they are detected early by targeted assessment and then treated appropriately according to the established stepwise treatment algorithm, better clinical outcomes and lower costs will result.
