Clinical and nutritional profile of adults and older adults admitted to the emergency department of a general hospital in the Federal District

Abstract

Introduction: Hospital malnutrition remains a relevant problem, especially in urgent and emergency care settings, where high patient turnover and clinical severity can hinder the early identification of nutritional risk. Nutritional assessment at hospital admission is essential to support timely interventions, particularly among older adults, a population more susceptible to unfavorable clinical outcomes. Methodology: This is an observational, cross-sectional, and descriptive study with a quantitative approach, conducted in the emergency department of a general hospital in the Federal District. A total of 247 adult and older adult patients admitted to the red and yellow areas between April and August 2025 were evaluated. Data collection included demographic, clinical, and anthropometric information, as well as the application of the Nutrition Risk Screening (NRS-2002) (KONDRUP et al., 2002) tool for nutritional risk screening and the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM-2018) (CEDERHOLM et al., 2019) criteria for the diagnosis of malnutrition. Statistical analyses included bivariate tests and Poisson regression with robust variance, adopting a 5% significance level. Results: The sample consisted predominantly of adults (71.66%), with a mean age of 50.36 ± 16.87 years and an even distribution between sexes. Nutritional risk was identified in 25.9% of patients according to the NRS-2002 (KONDRUP et al., 2002), and the prevalence of malnutrition based on GLIM-2018 (CEDERHOLM et al., 2019) criteria was 16.5%, being more frequent among older adults. Despite the high prevalence of overweight (58.29%), patients without excess body weight showed higher nutritional risk and a greater prevalence of malnutrition. Advanced age was significantly associated with nutritional risk and severe malnutrition, whereas sex showed no statistical association. Patients at nutritional risk had a higher prevalence of chronic diseases as the cause of hospitalization. Conclusion: The findings reveal a complex scenario of nutritional transition in the hospital emergency department, characterized by the coexistence of overweight and nutritional risk, especially among older adults. The study reinforces the importance of early nutritional screening and the combined use of validated tools, such as NRS-2002 (KONDRUP et al., 2002) and GLIM-2018 (CEDERHOLM et al., 2019), to avoid underestimation of malnutrition in patients with high BMI. The implementation of care protocols that include the assessment of body composition and functionality is recommended, aiming at timely nutritional intervention and improved clinical outcomes.