State of malnutrition in cuban hospitals; a needed update.

RATIONALE The Cuban Study of Hospital Malnutrition, as conducted during 1999 - 2001 with 1,905 patients assisted in 12 hospitals from 6 provinces of the country, revealed a hospital malnutrition rate of 41.2%. Having elapsed a decade after the first edition of the enquiry, update of this estimate is mandatory. OBJECTIVE To update the state of hospital malnutrition in Cuba. MATERIAL AND METHOD Presence of malnutrition in 1,664 patients admitted to 12 hospitals from 8 provinces of the country between March 2012 and March 2014 was documented with the Subjective Global Assessment (SGA) survey of the nutritional status. The state of hospital processes of food and nutritional care was assessed by means of the Hospital Nutrition Survey (HNS). RESULTS Current hospital malnutrition rate was 36.9% (Δ = +4.3%; p < 0.05). Completion rates of hospital exercises of nutritional assessment and of use of nutritional replenishment therapies were higher. CONCLUSIONS Having elapsed 10 years after the first edition of the ELAN CUBA Study, modest advances are seen in the identification and treatment of malnutrition in Cuban hospitals. It is perceived that formation and insertion of nutritionists verticalized in hospital care has contributed to the observed change. In addition, the activity of the Cuban Society of Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism in the advancement of the disciplines of nutritional therapy, artificial nutrition and metabolism might have served for a better recognition of the health problem posed by hospital malnutrition.