Protein and energy intake of adult hospitalized patients.

Good nutrition is essential for the improvement of patients' health and their recovery from injury or illness. The prevalence of protein-energy malnutrition has been observed in hospitalized patients (1, 2). The importance of providing compre hensive nutritional care for patients to prevent the incidence of malnutrition among them was emphasized (3, 4). Clinical survey in Thailand indicates that more than 60% of hospitalized patients suffer from protein-energy malnutrition. It was concluded that the energy status of these patients showed more depletion than their protein status (2). The present study, therefore, was conducted as a pilot study to assess the protein and energy intake of hospitalized patients at Ramathibodi Hospital, Thailand, and to compare this intake with protein and energy intake as recommended by the physician. Twenty-eight adult patients (17 men and 11 women) were selected at random from records of medical wards, which included patients with different medical conditions. All patients were over 15 years of age. Only patients on regular and modified diets were included. Data were collected for three meals a day over a period of four weeks. The period of hospitalization ranged from one day to seven days with an average of 4.7 days. A special sheet was used for each patient to record his daily food intake for three meals. One dietitian performed all the calculation and preparation of food served to patients according to the physician's prescription. Generally the physician prescribed only energy and protein for patients according to age, sex and clinical * This study was carried out at the Institute of Nutrition, Mahidol University (INMU), Thailand, under the financial support of World Hunger Programme (WHP) of the United Nations University.