Evaluation of nutritional adequacy and length of stay in elderly patients on parenteral nutrition: a retrospective study at Universitas Airlangga Hospital

Malnutrition in geriatric patients can impact morbidity through impaired wound healing, increased risk of infection, and complications. Increased morbidity contributes to higher mortality, longer and more intensive treatment, and prolonged hospital length of stay (LOS). The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of parenteral nutrition and its impact on the length of stay in geriatric patients hospitalized at the Inpatient Installation of Universitas Airlangga Hospital, Surabaya. Nutritional adequacy in geriatric patients was categorized based on the patient’s basal metabolic rate (BMR) and the total nutritional intake received through parenteral, enteral, or oral routes. The BMR was calculated using the Harris–Benedict equation. Sample collection was conducted from May to June 2022 using a retrospective study design. The sample included all geriatric patients who received parenteral nutrition during hospitalization from January to December 2021. In this study, 47 patients met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Among the entire sample, 96% of patients achieved their daily nutritional requirements during the use of parenteral nutrition, while 4% did not. Geriatric patients who received parenteral nutrition and achieved their daily nutritional requirements had a lower mean length of stay compared to those who did not meet their nutritional needs (9.5 ± 5.3 vs. 23.0 ± 7.1 days; p = 0.032). Geriatric patients who received parenteral nutrition and achieved their daily nutritional requirements had a lower mean length of stay (LOS) compared to those who did not meet their nutritional needs.