Weight Change During Hospitalization in a Tertiary Cardiological Center in Sri Lanka
Anidu K. Pathirana1, Ranil Jayawardena2,3, Ishara Ranathunga1, W.S. Santharaj1, Sandamali P. Premaratne1 and Niroshan C. Lokunarangoda1,4*
1 Institute of Cardiology, National Hospital of Sri Lanka, Colombo, Sri Lanka
2 Diabetes Research Unit, Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka
3 Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
4 Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Allied Sciences, Rajarata University of Sri Lanka, Mihintale, Sri Lanka.
Abstract:
Background: Malnutrition is common in hospitalized patients and many undergo further deterioration of the nutritional level during the stay at the hospital. Patients who are malnourished on admission have a tendency to further depletion of nutrition level during the hospital stay. The aim of this study was to assess the weight changes of hospitalized patients during the hospital admission.
Methods: Body weight was measured on admission and discharge for two hundred and ninety four patients in a cardiology hospital. Body mass index (BMI) cut offs were used to categorized patients to underweight (BMI<18.5kg.m-2), normal (18.5-22.9kg.m-2), overweight (23.0-24.9kg.m-2), obese (25.0-29.9kg.m-2) and very obese.
Results: Study population included 190 (64.4%) males and 105 (35.6%) females. One hundred and twenty eight (43.4%) patients lost their weight, while 131 (44.4%) and 36 (12.2%) patients had gained and had no change in their weight respectively. Of the patients who had their BMI in the underweight category (26, 8.81%), most (15, 57.7%) gained their weight. In the normal BMI range (112, 37.97%) majority (51, 45.5%) gained their weight. In the category of overweight (64, 21.69%), half of the patients (32, 50.0%) lost their weight. Forty three patients (46.23%) who were in the obese or very obese category (93, 31.53%) lost their weight. Weight changes within different BMI categories were not statistically significant (P=0.19).
Conclusion: Two fifths of patients lost their weight during the hospital stay irrespective of the BMI categories.
Keywords:
hospital malnutrition;cardiac patients;weight change;Sri Lanka
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