Nutrición Hospitalaria (Feb 2006)
Comparación del estado nutricional, consumo alimenticio y tiempo de hospitalización de pacientes de dos hospitales, uno público y otro privado Comparative analysis of nutritional status, food intake and lenght of hospitalization considering two hospitals: public versus private
Abstract
INTRODUCCIÓN: Conocer el estado nutricional de pacientes hospitalizados es importante para la prevención de la desnutrición hospitalaria y para la planificación de las intervenciones nutricionales. OBJETIVO: Analizarsar comparativamente el estado nutricional, el consumo energético, el proteico y el tiempo de hospitalización internación de pacientes ingresados en plantas enfermerias de un hospital público y uno privado, que atiendan a personas con diferentes perfiles sócio económicos. CASUÍSTICA Y MÉTODOS: Este estudio ha sido del tipo prospectivo con la muestra obtenida entre pacientes de dos hospitales, uno público (HPU) y uno privado (HPR), que presentan respectivamente la población más pobre y la de mejor condición socioeconómica. Han sido considerados para el análisis, 51 pacientes del HPU con una edad mediana de 53,9 ± 15,6 años y 51 del HPR con 55,0 ± 13,9 años, dispuestos en parejas y agrupados de acuerdo con las sieguientes enfermedades: neoplasias (n = 25), enfermedades de aparato digestivotório (n = 11) y otras (n = 15). Para el análisis estadístico, ha sido aplicado el test T-Student para comparaciones entre las variaciones del HPU y HPR, con p INTRODUCTION: To assess the nutritional status of hospitalized patients is important for the prevention of hospital malnutrition and planning of nutritional intervention. OBJECTIVE: To comparatively analyze the nutritional status of patients admitted to two hospitals, one public and another private, caring for populations with different socioeconomic profiles. CASE STUDY AND METHODS: This was a prospective study and samples were collected from patients of two hospitals, one public (PUH) and another private (PRH), which respectively represent the underprivileged and the more affluent populations. The analysis considered 51 patients from the PUH, aged between 53.9 ± 15.6 years and 51 from the PRH, aged between 55.0 ± 13.9 years, paired and grouped according to the following diseases: neoplasia (n+25), digestive tract disorders (n+11) and others (n+15). The statistical analysis was made by means of the T-Student test to compare PUH and PRH variables with p < 0.05, as well as to compare different variables in the same hospital, with p < 0.05; p < 0.01; p < 0.005 and p < 0.001. RESULTS: There were no statistical differences when the variables evaluated in both hospitals were compared, except for the length of hospitalization of patients with digestive tract disorders, which was longer for HPR. Upon hospitalization, 21.0% and 17.6% presented a body mass index (BMI) indicative of malnutrition. The patients with neoplasias presented current weight (CW) lower than habitual weight (HW). Both the patients with neoplasias and those with digestive tract disorders presented insufficient energy consumption in the period before hospitalization (p < 0.05). A negative correlation was found between the length of hospitalization and the current weight/habitual weight ratio (r = 0.194, 0 < 0.05, n = 102) and BMI (r=-0.186, p < 0.05, n = 102), according to Pearson's coefficient. CONCLUSION: The similarity of nutritional conditions found points to similarity of nutritional status for patients of both institutions and reflects the changes in the nutritional status of the population. The nutritional intervention should consider the nutritional needs of the population assisted.
