The utility of an admission assessment to predict in-hospital nutrient intake.

OBJECTIVE: To determine if pre-complication nutrient intake can be predicted based on an admission assessment.

DESIGN: Survey (cross-sectional study).

SETTING: Geriatric Rehabilitation Unit (GRU) of a Veterans Administration hospital.

PATIENTS: Three-hundred-twelve randomly selected admissions to the GRU.

MEASUREMENTS: At admission, each patient completed a comprehensive medical, neuropsychological, functional, and nutritional assessment. While remaining hospitalized, each subject was monitored on a daily basis for the development of complications. Complete calorie counts were obtained at least every other day, and the average pre-complication daily volitional nutrient intake was expressed as a percent of predicted requirements as determined using the Harris-Benedict equation.

RESULTS: Based on a stepwise linear regression analysis, the strongest predictor of pre-complication volitional intake was the first day calorie count, followed by waist circumference, the percent of weight lost in the 6 months prior to admission, supra-iliac skinfold thickness, and admission Katz ADL score. The model R2 = 0.66.

CONCLUSIONS: It is possible to predict pre-complication nutrient intake with a fair degree of accuracy based on an admission assessment, which includes a 1-day calorie count.