OBJECTIVES

: Malnutrition affects between 30%-50% of hospitalized adults globally. To date, no multi-center studies in Colombia have been conducted to estimate the prevalence of malnutrition for patients with heart and lung diseases, and its impact on patient’s health and healthcare costs. This prospective observational cohort study assessed primarily the prevalence of malnutrition, and the impact it had on patients’ hospital length of stay, readmission rates, and healthcare costs.

METHODS

: Data from the first 402 patients enrolled in the study in 2017 (total sample size is 800) were analyzed per proposed interim assessment plan. Patients were adults (18≥years) with congestive heart failure (CHF), acute myocardial infarction (AMI), community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), or congestive obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who had nutrition screening via the Malnutrition Screening Tool (MST) within 24 hours of hospital admission and were admitted at the four participating hospitals. Patients were categorized as at-risk/malnourished (MST≥2) or well-nourished (MST<2), and were followed for 30 days after discharge.

RESULTS

: At interim, the prevalence of malnutrition among all patients was 23.9%. Disease-specific prevalence was: 31% for patients with COPD; 26% for patients with CHF, 25% for patients with CAP, and 15% for patients with AMI. At-risk/malnourished patients had significantly higher length of stay (7.89 vs. 5.17 days), 30-day readmission rate (11% vs. 8%) and incurred higher healthcare costs ($2,320 vs. $1,455) than their well-nourished counterparts (all p values < 0.05). Only 2% of patients in both groups received oral nutritional supplements (ONS) in addition to regular diet.

CONCLUSIONS

: Malnutrition is prevalent among hospitalized Colombian patients with heart and lung diseases, and is associated with poor health and economic outcomes. ONS, an effective treatment approach to address malnutrition is infrequently used and is not always informed by patient’s nutrition status. Future studies assessing the impact of effective nutrition programs in Colombian hospitals are needed.