Week 3 Flashcards
(109 cards)
What is malnutrition?
A state of nutrition in which a deficiency or imbalance of nutrients causes measurable effects on tissue and body form/function and clinical outcome
What is cachexia?
A multifactorial syndrome characterized by ongoing loss of skeletal muscle mass (with or without fat loss) that cannot be reversed by conventional nutritional support leading to progressive dysfuntion
What is sarcopenia?
- Age-related reduction in skeletal muscle mass in elderly (natural aging)
- Primary sarcopenia has no etiological cause
- secondary sarcopenia is where natural process is aggravated by extrinsic factor (malnutrition, lack of activity)
Which 5 groups are at higher risk of malnutrition?
- people over 65, particularly if in care home or admitted to hospital
- individuals with complex health needs
- people with long term conditions (diabetes, kidney disease)
- people with chronic progressive conditions (cancer)
- people who abuse drugs/alcohol
What are the 5 physiological causes of malnutrition?
- Swallowing problems
- Pain
- Medicine side effects
- Impaired GI function
- Hunger/ thirst impaired
What are the 4 social causes of malnutrition?
- Living / eating alone
- Little money
- Bereavement
- Difficulty shopping or cooking
What are the 3 psychological causes of malnutrition?
- Low mood / depression
- Dementia
- Poor appetite
What are the 5 physiological consequences of malnutrition?
- Reduced fat and muscle
- Poor wound healing
- Reduced mobility, weakness, fatigue
- Increased risk of infection
- More side effects from medicines
What are the 3 psychological consequences of malnutrition?
- Low mood / depression
- Confusion
- Appetite further reduced
What are the 5 other general outcomes of malnutrition?
- More falls and pressure ulcers
- More hospital admissions
- Require more prescriptions
- Reduced quality of life
- Increased mortality
What are the 4 ways of identifying malnutrition?
- Body Mass Index (BMI) of less than 18.5 kg/m2
- Unintentional weight loss greater than 10% within the last 3–6 months
- Eaten little or nothing for more than 5 days
- Have a poor absorptive capacity, and/or have high nutrient losses and/or have increased nutritional needs
What is the FOOD is a MUST score?
BMI kg/m2 score
- More than 20 = 0
- 18.5 – 20 = 1
- Less than 18.5 = 2
Weight Loss Score
- Less than 5% = 0
- 5-10% = 1
- More than 10% = 2
If patient is acutely ill and there has been or is likely to be little or no nutritional intake for 5 days or more
Score = 2
Score = 0 Low Risk
Score = 1 Medium Risk
Score = 2 or more High
What are the 5 steps to treat malnutrition?
- manage food intake factors
- set treatment aims
- food based nutrient dense diet
- oral nutritional supplements
- review + monitor
- manage food intake factors
- If concerns regarding swallow, refer to Speech & Language Therapy
- If difficulty using cutlery, refer to OT
- If patient is constipated, prescribe laxatives
- Are there medications causing problems that potentially could be stopped?
- If patient has nausea or vomiting, antiemetic?
- Does the patient need support to buy/cook food?
2 set realistic treatment aims
- Avoiding further weight loss
- Achieving a BMI of 18.5 or 20kg/m2
- Wound healing
- Regaining lost weight
3 nutrient dense diet
6 points
- A nourishing meal, snack or drink every 2-3 hours
- Appetiser (fresh air, light exercise)
- Fortify food and drinks with nutrient dense enrichers
- Allow favourite foods at anytime of day
- Make the most of times when appetite is better
- Consider the eating environment and encourage mealtimes with others where possible
What is fortified milk?
- add milk powder to whole milk
- use for milky drinks, cereal, porridge
Multivitamin and mineral supplements
- A daily multivitamin and mineral supplement is advised for those identified as medium or high risk
- Supplements should be purchased from a reputable source
When may home-made nutritional supplements not be appropriate?
Clinical considerations:
- Dysphagia – thickened fluids
- Renal impairment – particularly stage 4/5 kidney disease – protein and electrolyte content will need consideration
- Pressure area – elevated protein and micronutrient requirements
- Fluid restriction
- Vegan, Allergy or other specific intolerances
Practical considerations
- Physical ability to make up milkshakes/powdered supplements
- Impact on compliance/ability to monitor intake
Treatment aim not being met or further deterioration
What are the ACBS criteria for oral nutritional substances (ONS)?
- Short bowel syndrome
- Dysphagia
- Intractable malabsorption
- Pre-operative preparation of undernourished patients
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- Total gastrectomy
- Bowel fistulae
Which 3 drugs cause hyponatraemia?
- SSRIs
- diuretics
- sodium channel blockers
Which drugs cause hypernatraemia?
- corticosteroids
Which 2 drugs cause hypokalaemia?
- loop + thiazide diruetics
- insulin
Which 3 drugs cause hyperkalaemia?
- MRAs
- ACEis/ARBs
- NSAIDs