BMJ 1995;311:572 (26 August)

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Patients' nutritional status is not recorded

EDITOR,--C J Todd and colleagues found considerable differences among hospitals in mortality, length of stay in hospital, and the development of pressure sores in patients with hip fracture.1 Although the patients from the eight hospitals are said to have been well matched, no information is provided on the patients' nutritional status on arrival or on their subsequent nutritional care.

Simple anthropometric variables, such as weight in relation to height, the circumference of the midupper arm, and triceps skin fold thickness, have been used to assess nutritional status in patients with hip fracture and have proved to be predictors of mortality and length of stay in hospital.2 3 Malnourished patients receiving supplemental oral or enteral nutrition have shown fewer complications, a shorter stay in hospital and lower mortality.2 3 4 5 For example, patients receiving an oral supplement of 250 ml daily in one study had a median hospital stay of 40 days, compared with . . . [Full text of this article]


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Relevant Article

Differences in mortality after fracture of hip: the East Anglian audit
C J Todd, C J Freeman, C Camilleri-Ferrante, C R Palmer, A Hyder, C E Laxton, M J Parker, B V Payne, and N Rushton
BMJ 1995 310: 904-908. [Abstract] [Full Text]

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  • Sculco, T. P., Colwell, C. W. Jr., Pellegrini, V. D. Jr., Westrich, G. H., Bottner, F. (2002). Prophylaxis Against Venous Thromboembolic Disease in Patients Having a Total Hip or Knee Arthroplasty. JBJS 84: 466-477 [Full text]  
  • SALVATI, E. A., PELLEGRINI, V. D., SHARROCK, N. E., LOTKE, P. A., MURRAY, D. W., POTTER, H., WESTRICH, G. H. (2000). Symposium - Recent Advances in Venous Thromboembolic Prophylaxis During and After Total Hip Replacement. JBJS 82: 252-70 [Full text]  
  • Todd, C J, Palmer, C., Camilleri-Ferrante, C, Freeman, C J, Laxton, C E, Parker, M J, Payne, B V, Rushton, N (1995). Differences in mortality after fracture of hip. BMJ 311: 1025b-1025 [Full text]  
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