Hospital malnutrition: The Brazilian National Survey (IBRANUTRI): A study of 4000 patients

OBJECTIVE: We assessed nutrition status and prevalence of malnutrition in h ospital patients as determined by the Subjective Global Assessment Form, aw areness of patients' nutrition status by health teams, and the use of nutri tion therapy. METHODS: We enrolled 4000 hospital patients at least 18 y old who were cove red by the Brazilian public health care system in a cross-sectional, multic enter epidemiologic study. We used Student's t and chi-square tests for uni variate and multiple logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: Malnutrition was present in 48.1% of patients and severe malnutrit ion was present in 12.5% of patients. The prevalence of malnutrition was hi gher in the northern and northeastern regions of Brazil, where per-capita i ncome is lower. Malnutrition correlated with primary diagnosis at admission , age (60 y), presence of cancer or infection, and longer hospital stay (P < 0.05). Fewer than 18.8% of patients' records contained information on nut rition-related issues. Nutrition therapy was used in 7.3% of patients (6.1% enteral nutrition and 1.2% parenteral nutrition). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of malnutrition in hospitalized patients in Bra zil is high, physician awareness of malnutrition is low, and nutrition ther apy is underprescribed. (C) Elsevier Science Inc; 2001.