Evaluation of hospitalized patients with dysphagia, malnutrition & sarcopenia screening tests

Dysphagia, sarcopenia, malnutrition, and frailty are some of the leading problems of the older adults; these issues also affect the majority of inpatients and have a negative impact on clinical outcomes. They are overlooked because they rarely become major complaints. This research aims to evaluate the prevalence of these syndromes and point out their independent correlated factors. A total of 414 patients who had been admitted to the inpatient clinics conducted by the departments of internal medicine and general surgery at Hacettepe University Hospital were included in the study. The screening tests used to evaluate the variables were selected based on the availability of validation studies in Turkish forms. Following the evaluations, patients were grouped according to the clinics they had been admitted to and the results of their screening tests. Statistical analyses were performed to demonstrate the prevalence of the syndromes and to detect the independent correlated factors with them. Mean±SD age of the patients was 55.14 (±17,07). Prevalence of dysphagia, malnutrition risk, probable sarcopenia, and frailty was 43.5%, 54.8%, 69.5% and 38.4% respectively. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to determine correlated factors. Dysphagia was correlated with presence of male sex, nutritional risk, and frailty. Malnutrition risk was correlated with presence of geriatric age (≥65 years), multimorbidity (≥2 chronic comorbidities), dysphagia, probable sarcopenia, and frailty. Sarcopenia was correlated with male sex, non-surgical ward admittance, malnutrition risk, and frailty. Geriatric age, non-surgical ward admission, presence of hypertension, and malignancy, dysphagia, malnutrition risk, and probable sarcopenia were accepted as independent correlated factors for frailty. Due to their high prevalence, these syndromes should be screened in all newly admitted patients. Moreover, after recognizing these syndromes, optimal nutritional and physical support may prevent negative outcomes and complications. Significantly higher probable sarcopenia prevalences than those reported in the literature warrant additional studies with confirmation tests.