Nutritional Assessment

Abstract

An abundant food supply has brought with it problems of overnutrition in Australia, but has not precluded problems of undernutrition and, indeed, overnutrition and undernutrition may coexist. "Dysnutrition" accounts for, or is associated with considerable morbidity and mortality in Australia. Nutritional assessment, therefore, is as important as other components of patient assessment. The approaches to nutritional assessment include: (i) identification of the individual at risk; (ii) eliciting relevant symptoms and signs; (iii) ascertaining to patients' food and nutrition knowledge and beliefs; (iv) establishing recent and remote food intake patterns: (v) anthropometry; and (vi) various laboratory investigations. The early recognition of excessive adiposity is likely to be a valuable contribution to preventive medicine. In hospital practice, the early recognition of protein energy malnutrition is likely to reduce the duration of hospital stay and morbidity and mortality rates.