J U N E 2 0 1 8 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y. N E T • 5 1
I
t's no secret that malnourished patients tend to have bad out-
comes after surgery, but that's not your problem, right? When
patients arrive at your facility, you're more concerned with
their high deductibles than with their low albumin levels.
While you're hardly alone in overlooking your patients' nutri-
tional status, what if I told you it's easy to get your patients in the best
possible nutritional shape for surgery — as easy as completing a 4-
question checklist to identify those who are malnourished?
Thomas K. Varghese, Jr., MD, MS | Salt Lake City, Utah
Boost Your Patients'
Dietary Health Before Surgery
Use a simple checklist to screen for malnourishment.
Use a simple checklist to screen for malnourishment.
BMI less
than 19?
Unintentional
weight loss?
Poor appetite?
Unable to take
food orally?
• SURGICAL NUTRITION Nutritional status is a major determinant of outcomes for any type of surgery, especially for high-risk
patients.
