European journal of trauma and emergency surgery : official publication of the European Trauma Society
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Eur J Trauma Emerg Surg · Oct 2016
Review Multicenter StudyManagement of malnutrition in geriatric trauma patients: results of a nationwide survey.
Prevalence of malnutrition in geriatric trauma patients ranges between 30 and 50 % in Germany. Malnutrition is associated with impaired wound healing, a prolonged in-hospital stay, reduced post-traumatic mobility, as well as a higher mortality. Thus, detection and improvement of nutritional status could be a fundamental contribution in optimizing the treatment of these patients. ⋯ Although we know malnutrition is a frequent condition in geriatric patients, a minority of clinics considered it. The BMI and the NRS showed acceptance in practice; other parameters were used inhomogeneously. Although these findings may be limited in their significance, they indicate that the detection of malnutrition needs further investigation.