Malnutrition means the body isn’t receiving the right amounts of nutrients. This could mean that a person is getting too much or too little, but overall it’s described as an imbalance of nutrients. (Barker, Gout, & Crowe, 2011) Having malnutrition in the hospital means that the person 's body isn 't getting enough nutrients needed for the body. It can be “caused by not having enough to eat, not eating enough of the right things, or not being able to use the food that one does eat.” (“Malnutrition”, 2016) Having malnutrition in the hospital could result in slow or impaired wound healing, longer hospital stays, increased risk of getting an infection, and higher mortality rates. Nurses must be able to know the signs, symptoms, and background of malnutrition to diagnose it
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Potassium is a mineral people most commonly don’t get enough of. If a patient is deficient in potassium, they may have muscular weakness, paralysis, confusion, or anorexia. A good way to increase potassium in a patient’s diet is to feed them food such as, bananas, tomatoes, oranges, or potatoes. Nurses may need to increase the iron in their patient’s diet if they are anemic. Iron rich foods include meat, fish, poultry, legumes, nuts, grains, and vegetables. (Dudek, 2014, p. 131 & 140)
Deficiencies are a major factor in malnutrition, but physical disabilities play a big part too. People who have physical obstacles to eating include, those who have denture problems, those who have neurological conditions where they can’t chew or swallow, and those who have a feeding tube. (“Meals, Nutrition, and Feding, 2015) For them to get the proper amount of nutrients, one must specify they’re eating plan. Limit foods to soft or liquid form. One could also give them supplements to increase their nutrient intake. The IV can give their body nutrients right through to the
Potassium is a mineral people most commonly don’t get enough of. If a patient is deficient in potassium, they may have muscular weakness, paralysis, confusion, or anorexia. A good way to increase potassium in a patient’s diet is to feed them food such as, bananas, tomatoes, oranges, or potatoes. Nurses may need to increase the iron in their patient’s diet if they are anemic. Iron rich foods include meat, fish, poultry, legumes, nuts, grains, and vegetables. (Dudek, 2014, p. 131 & 140)
Deficiencies are a major factor in malnutrition, but physical disabilities play a big part too. People who have physical obstacles to eating include, those who have denture problems, those who have neurological conditions where they can’t chew or swallow, and those who have a feeding tube. (“Meals, Nutrition, and Feding, 2015) For them to get the proper amount of nutrients, one must specify they’re eating plan. Limit foods to soft or liquid form. One could also give them supplements to increase their nutrient intake. The IV can give their body nutrients right through to the