Study on Refeeding Syndrome in Older Hospitalized Patients
Background and Objectives
Refeeding syndrome (RFS) lacks a global definition and diagnostic criteria. This study investigated the incidence of RFS and mortality rates in older hospitalized patients using three different diagnostic criteria: serum phosphate (traditional criterion), the Friedli consensus recommendations, and the ASPEN.
Methods
A total of 85 malnourished hospitalized patients at risk of RFS were included in this longitudinal study. Patients were provided with enteral tube feeding, and electrolytes were measured daily. Incidences of RFS were recorded, and mortality rates were compared between patients with and without RFS. Regression analysis and Kappa were used to test for associations and agreement between the diagnostic criteria.
Results
The study found that the incidences of RFS varied with the criteria used: 12.9% (traditional criterion), 31.8% (Friedli), and 65.9% (ASPEN). However, mortality rates did not significantly differ between patients with or without RFS, regardless of the criteria used. Age was the only variable associated with death at one-year.
Conclusion
Using different diagnostic criteria significantly impacts incidence rates, but none of the criteria showed a significant association with death at one-year. This highlights the need for a global unified diagnostic criterion for RFS.
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