The role of nutrition in increased morbidity and mortality.

Up to 65% of the hospitalized elderly are protein-energy undernourished at admission or develop serious nutritional deficits while hospitalized. These undernourished patients are at an increased risk of developing serious in-hospital complications, the likelihood of developing a complication increasing in relation to the severity of the nutritional deficits. Several studies suggest that aggressive nutritional support targeted to these undernourished patients may be beneficial both in terms of rectifying their nutritional deficits and improving their clinical outcomes; however, these findings have not been confirmed. There must be a greater understanding of the nutritional needs in the hospitalized elderly to guarantee optimal care.