Nutrition status and length of hospital stay

Abstract

The length of hospital stay reflects the response to treatment, which in turn is directly influenced by the patient’s nutritional status.Although the reported prevalences of hospital-associated malnutrition vary greatly depending on practice and assessment instrument, the association between malnutrition and length of stay is consistent and has always been confirmed by studies that aimed to investigate this association. Longer hospital stays can be avoided by performing a thorough screening and monitoring of the patient’s nutritional status, along with early introduction of nutritional therapy to correct existing deficiencies. This measure is not taken very often, but its need is recognized.