THE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF POOR NUTRITIONAL-STATUS

It is vital for all members of the health care team to be astute and s killed in detecting the signs and symptoms of poor nutritional status. Although these signs and symptoms can be the, result of various disea se processes other than poor nutrition, improving nutrition in the eld erly relies on all of us considering a nutritional cause for these cli nical features and laboratory results. By the time these signs and sym ptoms are present, the patient's status is already compromised: poor n utritional status is already present and causing some effect. This art icle details the signs and symptoms that should be sought in interview ing patients and their caregivers, from observation of the patients in their environment, and by physical examination including specific ant hropometric measurements, and laboratory tests. The Nutrition Screenin g Initiative classification of these signs and symptoms into ''major i ndicators'' (which, if present, mandate a search for nutritional probl ems) and ''n-minor indicators'' are reproduced. The importance of reco gnizing that the sensitivity to change of some of these indicators ove r time can be used to establish the need for and the response to inter ventions is clarified.