Abstract
Studies have identified malnutrition as a common problem among many hospitalized patients. Malnutrition can adversely affect a patient's response to treatment, prolonging recovery time. Nutrition screening is a process that can be initiated early in a patient's hospital stay to identify people who may be at risk for malnutrition. Early identification of these patients can help nutrition professionals focus their efforts on those who would benefit most. Clinical, biochemical, anthropometric, and dietary indicators should be included in a screening program to ensure optimal effectiveness. Screening programs can be developed with minimal effort by using existing staff and data readily available in a patient's medical record. This article describes one such screening program.
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