Evidence map›Paper›PMID 22733478›Full record

ArticleZeitschrift fur Gerontologie und Geriatrie2013

[Management of malnutrition in geriatric hospital units in Germany].

C Smoliner, D Volkert, R Wirth

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Article in Zeitschrift fur Gerontologie und Geriatrie, 2013. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
0.3field-weighted citation impact, top 39% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 9 citations in OpenAlex.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

C SmolinerKlinik für Innere Medizin und Geriatrie, St.-Marien-Hospital Borken, Am Boltenhof 7, 46325, Borken. christine.smoliner@hospital-borken.de
D Volkert
R Wirth
St. Marien Hospital · DEFriedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg · DE

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionElderly hospitalized patients have a high risk for developing malnutrition. The causes for an impaired nutritional status in old age are various and the impact is far-reaching. Malnutrition is a comorbidity that is well treatable and various studies show the favorable effect of nutrition therapy on nutritional status and prognosis. In the past few years, several guidelines have been developed to improve nutritional management and to ensure standardized procedures to identify patients at nutritional risk who will benefit from nutrition therapy. However, it is still not clear to what extent nutrition management has been implemented in geriatric wards in Germany.

aimThis survey is intended to give an overview on the situation of the current diagnosis and therapy of malnutrition and nutritional management in geriatric hospital units for acute and rehabilitative care.

methodsIn 2011, the task force of the German Geriatric Society ("Deutsche Gesellschaft für Geriatrie", DGG) developed a questionnaire which was sent out to 272 directors of geriatric hospital and rehabilitational units. Included were questions regarding the size and staffing of the hospital and wards, food provision, diagnosis and therapy of malnutrition, as well as communication of malnutrition and nutrition therapy in the doctor's letter.

resultsA total of 38% of the questioned units answered. The following information was compiled: 31% of the geriatric facilities employed a doctor with training in clinical nutrition, 42% employ dieticians or nutritional scientists, and 90% speech and language pathologists. In 36% of the wards, a so-called geriatric menu is offered (small portions, rich in energy and/or protein, easy to chew). In 89% of the wards, snacks are available between meals. Diagnosis of malnutrition is mainly done by evaluation of weight and BMI. Validated and established screening tools are only used in 40% of the geriatric wards. Food records are carried out in 64% of the units when needed. Diagnosed malnutrition and nutrition therapy are underreported in the doctor's letter. Dental care beyond emergency care is rarely provided in 67% of wards and never in 23% of units.

conclusionThe use of validated screening instruments is clearly underrepresented and therapy algorithms are rarely implemented in German geriatric hospital units. There are a variety of nutrition interventions available, but it is unclear how patients at nutritional risk are identified. The data on the efficacy of nutrition therapy in elderly patients are very convincing and the integration of nutrition screening in the basic geriatric assessment seems sensible. The establishment of standardized procedures for nutrition intervention and therapy recommendations in the doctor's letter would be useful to ensure sustainability of nutrition therapy.

Indexed as

AgedAged, 80 and overFemaleGermanyHealth Services for the AgedHumansMaleMalnutritionPractice Patterns, Physicians'Surveys and Questionnaires

Identifiers

PMID22733478
OpenAlexW42449663

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.