We found a match
Your institution may have rights to this item. Sign in to continue.
- Title
The impact of providing flexible meals on patients' nutritional intake, fasting times and cost when admitted to a trauma unit.
- Authors
Lee, Ellen; Singleton, Justin; Murphy, Annette; Heaney, Susan
- Abstract
Background: Malnutrition is associated with increased morbidity, mortality, decreased quality of life, increased length of hospital stay and higher treatment costs. Prevalence rates in Australian hospitals is reported between 30% and 50%. Trauma patients experience significant periods of restricted oral intake resulting from pre‐operative fasting for complex and frequent surgical procedures. In addition, they have elevated nutritional requirements for recovery resulting in significant accrued nutritional deficits. The present study hypothesised that not having hot meals available outside of the hospital food service system was contributing to increased nutritional deficits. The study aimed to investigate the impact of providing flexible frozen meals and snacks in a trauma ward, on nutritional intake, cost and duration of perioperative fasting. Methods: This was a pre‐ and post‐interventional study examining 40 fasting experiences of hospitalised patients in a trauma ward. Frozen meals and snack bags were readily accessible to nursing staff to provide to patients out of kitchen service hours. Nutritional intake and fasting times were measured from patient records and interviews. Results: Implementing flexible food items increased patient nutritional intake by 28% (15%–43%) on the day of fasting. Fasting duration was not significantly reduced (1.73 h); however, when patient fasting was ceased, food was provided more responsively. Nursing staff showed improved satisfaction with project implementation. Conclusions: The present study has demonstrated that provision of food items outside of regular meal service hours is a low cost intervention that improves nutritional intake, provides nutrition more responsively and is well received by nursing staff. Highlights: Fasting times for surgical patients in a trauma ward far exceed recommended fasting guidelines as advised by governing bodies.Nutritional intake of a surgical patient on a day of fasting meets approximately 15% of estimated nutrition requirements. This can lead to hospital acquired malnutrition.Hospital foodservice systems are often too rigid to provide adequate meals and nutrition to surgical patients, often leading to patient dissatisfaction.A low cost initiative of providing flexible meals to surgical patients improves patient nutrition intake and satisfaction, and is more responsive to patients diet code status. It did not reduce fasting times.
- Subjects
AUSTRALIA; PREVENTION of malnutrition; SNACK foods; CLINICAL trials; FOOD consumption; INTERVIEWING; ACQUISITION of data; SURGERY; PATIENTS; HOSPITAL costs; REGRESSION analysis; NUTRITIONAL requirements; PATIENT satisfaction; PREPROCEDURAL fasting; TREATMENT effectiveness; PRE-tests &; post-tests; HOSPITAL food service; COST analysis; HOSPITAL care; HOSPITAL wards; RESEARCH funding; MEDICAL records; DESCRIPTIVE statistics; HOSPITAL nursing staff; QUESTIONNAIRES; WOUNDS &; injuries; DATA analysis software; MEALS; DIETARY proteins
- Publication
Journal of Human Nutrition & Dietetics, 2023, Vol 36, Issue 4, p1234
- ISSN
0952-3871
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1111/jhn.13141