For hospitalized patients with IBD, malnutrition contributes to readmission, mortality, length of stay (LOS), and healthcare costs, according to a study published in Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics. Anoushka Dua, MD, and colleagues examined trends in protein-calorie malnutrition (PCM) among hospitalized patients with and without IBD, including 1.2 million patients (>1.8 million hospitalizations) with Crohn’s disease, 832,931 patients (>1.08 million hospitalizations) with ulcerative colitis, and 240 million patients (3.21 million hospitalizations) without IBD. The likelihood of having PCM was 2.9 to 3.1 times higher for admitted patients with IBD versus without. Risks for readmission and mortality were increased for patients with IBD with PCM, who also had longer LOS and higher hospitalization costs. A reduced risk for readmission was seen in association with parenteral and enteral nutrition, but mortality, LOS, and total hospitalization costs were elevated. The findings “may suggest that those who receive
nutrition support are inherently more ill and thus require longer stays, which in turn increases the cost of hospitalization,” Dr. Dua and colleagues wrote.
