How nutritional risk is assessed and managed in European hospitals: a survey of 21,007 patients findings from the 2007-2008 cross-sectional nutritionDay survey

Background & aims: Recognition and treatment of undernutrition in hospitalized patients are not often a priority in clinical practice.

Objectives: We investigated how the nutritional risk of patients is determined and whether such assessment influences daily nutritional care across Europe and in Israeli hospitals.

Methods: 1217 units from 325 hospitals in 25 countries with 21,007 patients participated in a longitudinal survey "nutritionDay" 2007/2008 undertaken in Europe and Israel. Screening practice, the type of tools used and whether energy requirements and intake are assessed and monitored were surveyed using standardized questionnaires.

Results: Fifty-two percent (range 21-73%) of the units in the different regions reported a screening routine which was most often performed with locally developed methods and less often with national tools, the Nutrition Risk Screening-2002, or the Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool. Twenty-seven percent of the patients were subjectively classified as being "at nutritional risk", with substantial differences existing between regions. Independent factors influencing the classification of nutritional risk included age, BMI <18.5 kg/m(2), unintentional weight loss, reduced food intake in the previous week and on nutritionDay (for all parameters, p < 0.0001). The energy goal was defined as >=1500 kcal in 76% of the patients, but 43% of patients did not reach this goal.

Conclusions: The process of nutrition risk assessment varied between units and countries. Additionally, energy goals were frequently not met. More effort is needed to implement current guidelines within daily clinical practice.