Nutrition in Health and Disease Flashcards
What is the diet?
Sum total of all foods ingested
Why is the GI tract central in malnutrition?
Many systems contribute to the metabolic demand but the supply falls on the gut and its associated organs
Over nutrition leads to
obesity which in turn leads to long term problems
Under nutrition leads to
weight loss and impaired function and is strongly associated with illness
The requirement for a nutrient is
the amount required to sustain life and prevent a deficiency
The demand for nutrients has a fixed component which covers;
- basal requirement e.g. membrane function
- mechanical work
- substrate turnover
The demand for nutrients has a variable component which covers the cost of;
- processing dietary intake
- physical activity
- maintaining body temperature
- growth
Give 4 symptoms of malnutrition
Malaise Fatigue Frequent infection/taking a long time to recover from infection Delayed wound healing Poor concentration Difficulty keeping warm Weight loss
Mal-digestion/malabsorption can involve;
- failure to meet nutritional requirements of the individual
- development of deficiencies
- excess of certain nutrients
What is malnutrition?
A state of nutrition in which a deficiency or excess of energy, protein or other nutrients causes measurable adverse effects on tissue/body form, body function and clinical outcome
What is the major screening tool used to detect patients at risk of malnutrition?
Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST)
What score on the MUST would suggest a risk of malnutrition?
> 2
At what score on the MUST would supplements and observation be indicated?
1
Give the factors associated with malnutrition
Illness
Social isolation
Age
Socially vulnerable groups
Give 4 clinical consequences of malnutrition
Impaired immune response Reduced muscle strength Impaired wound healing Impaired psycho-social function Impaired recovery from illness and surgery Poorer clinical outcome
