Malnutrition is particularly common among hospitalized patients and older adults. Among hospitalized patients, as many as
half are estimated to be malnourished or at risk for malnutrition. In fact, the prevalence of malnutrition is especially high among patients who need
critical care due to acute or chronic diseases or conditions such as:
Abbott Nutrition Solutions As your nutrition partner and developer of science-based nutrition products that advance the quality of life for people of all ages, we provide numerous solutions for nutritional management of your hospitalized patients. We offer both
oral nutrition and
tube-feeding solutions. Additional product information is readily available in our
Therapeutic Nutrition Center.
Hospitalized Patients Are Particularly Vulnerable to Undernutrition Despite hospital malnutrition being identified as a concern over 35 years ago, it still may be overlooked today. Malnutrition (undernutrition) usually occurs as some form of protein-energy malnutrition (PEM).
- Primary PEM results from an acute or chronic deficiency of both protein and calories.
- Secondary PEM results from a disease or medical condition such as cancer or gastrointestinal disease that alters requirements for or impairs the usage of nutrients.
To review studies, clinical information, and references about malnutrition in hospitalized patients, download the following PDFs:
Hospital Malnutrition: Assessment and Intervention Methods (142kb)
Malnutrition: A Hidden Cost in Health Care (7.2Mb)
Improving Outcomes in Chronic Diseases With Specialized Nutrition Intervention (317kb)