Question

A patient is admitted to the hospital with congestive heart failure that was diagnosed 3 years prior. She is admitted with mild edema (pitting 2+), generalized weakness, and inability to care for herself at home. Her admitting weight is 153# and her weight one month ago was 144#. The RDN documents her oral intake as being approximately 60% of recommended intake for the past month. Using the Nutrition Focused Physical (NFPE), how would you classify her? Please be specific whether she is nourished or malnourished and if malnourished, what category. If malnourished, what criteria qualified her.

Answer 1

The patient is malnourished, with malnutrition related to chronic disease, evidenced by mild edema, weight gain, weakness, and reduced oral intake.

Step-by-step explanation:

The patient described in the scenario appears to be malnourished based on the given Nutrition Focused Physical Exam (NFPE). The characteristics indicating malnutrition include mild edema (pitting 2+), generalized weakness, a documented weight gain of 9 pounds in one month which may be fluid retention due to congestive heart failure, and an oral intake approximately 60% of recommended intake for the past month. Based on these criteria, the patient can be classified under the category of malnutrition associated with chronic disease.