A Study on the Status of Nutritional Risk Screening and Nutritional Therapy in Neurology Hospitalized Stroke Patients

A Study on the Status of Nutritional Risk Screening and Nutritional Therapy in Neurology Hospitalized Stroke Patients

Stroke is the leading cause of premature death and disability, and early recognition and treatment of dysphagia is fundamental to stroke management. Early and full tube feeding in the acute phase of stroke helps to address nutritional problems resulting from dysphagia and impaired consciousness and helps to reduce morbidity and mortality and poor outcomes. Current guidelines for acute stroke management do not address the goal of tube feeding of enteral nutrition for energy and protein. In the treatment of acute stroke, there is a strong global focus on pharmacological thrombolysis or mechanical thrombolysis, with nutritional interventions being a less explored topic. Real-world evidence on large samples, feeding attainment and outcomes, and nutrition in the acute phase of stroke is lacking in China . The aim of this study was to understand the current status of nutritional therapy in stroke hospitalization in neurology and its impact on prognosis nationwide, and to improve the standardized management process of enteral nutrition therapy in the acute phase of stroke.

Malnutrition is a common geriatric syndrome with a disproportionate incidence in geriatric and neurology inpatients. In recent years, national nutritional surveys of geriatric inpatients have shown that about 2/3 of geriatric inpatients have nutritional problems; only half of neurology inpatients at high risk receive nutritional support, and inadequate nutrition exacerbates primary disease, increases complications, makes hospital stays longer, and ultimately affects patient survival outcomes.

To increase comprehensive and up-to-date research on the current status of nutritional therapy in geriatric and neurology inpatients, and to lay the foundation for future standardized treatment and standardized management, we conducted a nationwide survey on the current status of nutritional risk screening and treatment in geriatric and neurology inpatients. The aim is to raise the level of clinicians' awareness of malnutrition and nutritional risk in hospitalized patients, standardize clinical practice, and properly implement nutritional support to improve patients' clinical outcomes.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Newly admitted stroke patients admitted to neurology, age ≥18 years, within 7 days of onset, expected survival >3 months (i.e., not end-stage), expected neurology stay 7-10 days；
• At risk of malnutrition (MUST ≥ 2 points) or at nutritional risk (NRS2002 ≥ 3 points), sign an informed notice.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Transferred during treatment, contraindications to nutritional therapy (e.g., hemodynamic instability, gastrointestinal bleeding (bleeding >100 ml), other nutritional studies, pregnancy.