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Malnutrition, Weight Loss and Eating Disorders — History and Physical Examination — Clinical Pathway: ICU and Inpatient

Malnutrition, Weight Loss and Eating Disorders Clinical Pathway — ICU and Inpatient

History and Physical

Review of systems and physical exam will guide the differential diagnosis and the estimate of the degree of malnutrition and management.

Evaluate for signs of weight loss caused by infection, GI illness, thyroid disease or inadequate caloric intake as well as signs of refeeding syndrome.

History

Weight Loss
  • Amount of weight loss and time period
  • Does patient report intentional weight loss?
  • Does the patient have a goal of desired weight?
Food Intake
  • Recent typical 24-hour food recall
    • This can be helpful to determine at what caloric prescription it is safe to initiate the protocol
  • Eating/diet rules
    • Vegetarianism
    • Veganism
    • Food groups avoided
    • Skipping meals, etc.
Behaviors
  • Purging
  • Bingeing
  • Diet pills
  • Laxatives
Exercising
  • Amount of exercising
  • Sports
  • Obsessive repetitive activities (always standing, etc.)
SHADESS Assess for behavioral co-morbidities

Review of Systems — Malnutrition Related

Constitutional
  • Fatigue
  • Sleepiness
  • Stamina during sports
Lungs
  • Chest pain
  • Shortness of breath
Cardiovascular Chest pain
Endocrine
  • Menarche, last menstrual cycle
  • Oral contraceptive pill use
  • Feeling cold or hot
GI
  • Abdominal pain
  • Constipation, diarrhea
  • Reflux, hematemesis
GU Dark urine
Musculoskeletal Weakness
Neurologic
  • Dizziness
  • Headache
Skin
  • Cold intolerance
  • Easy bruising
  • Hair loss
  • Scars
Psychiatric
  • Mood changes
  • Ability to concentrate
  • Withdrawn from friends and social activities
  • Suicidal thinking or risk
Hematologic Easy bruising
Allergic Food allergies (confirm)

Physical Exam

Skin
  • Dryness
  • Lanugo
  • Scars
  • Bruises
  • Edema or acrocyanosis
CVS
  • Low heart rate
  • Hypotension
  • Arrhythmias
  • Orthostatic changes
Oral
  • Enamel decay
  • Parotid enlargement
Affect
  • Flat
  • Anxious
  • Withdrawn
  • Agitated

Complications — Every Organ System Can be Affected

Constitutional
  • Cachexia
  • Fatigue
  • Hypothermia
Cardiovascular
  • Bradycardia
  • ECG changes such as prolonged QTc
  • Increased PR interval and other arrhythmias (due to electrolyte abnormalities)
  • Pericardial effusion (due to refeeding syndrome)
  • Mitral valve prolapse
  • Hypotension
  • Orthostatic changes
Gastrointestinal
  • Dyspepsia
  • GERD
  • Delayed gastric emptying
  • Constipation
  • Rectal prolapse
  • Superior mesenteric artery syndrome
Endocrine
  • Amenorrhea
  • Low testosterone level
  • Euthyroid sick syndrome
  • Decreased libido
  • Puberty delay
  • Growth retardation/stunting
  • Elevated cortisol level
  • Poor diabetes control
Bone
  • Osteopenia/osteoporosis
  • Stress fractures
Renal
  • Dehydrationazotemia
  • Renal failure
  • Pseudo Barter’s (when purging behaviors) kidney stones
  • Impaired urine concentration
Skin
  • Acrocyanosis
  • Lanugo
  • Hair loss
  • Edema (refeeding syndrome)
  • Orange skin discoloration (carotenoderma)
  • Poor wound healing
Neurologic
  • Seizures (hyponatremia)
  • Cognitive decline
  • Decreased attention span
  • Dizziness
  • Peripheral neuropathy
  • Cerebral atrophy
Mental health
  • Depression
  • Anxiety
  • Obsessive-compulsive disorder
Hematologic
  • Bone marrow atrophy
    • Anemia
    • Neutropenia
    • Thrombocytopenia
  • Easy bruising
Fluids/Electrolytes
  • Hypo or hypernatremia
  • Hypokalemia
  • Hypophosphatemia
  • Metabolic alkalosis
  • Hypoglycemia
  • Refeeding syndrome
Hepatic, Pancreas
  • Elevated transaminases
  • Elevated amylase
  • Elevated lipase
  • Gallstones
Muscular
  • Muscle wasting
  • Weakness
Pulmonary
  • Spontaneous pneumomediastinum/pneumothorax
  • Pulmonary muscle wasting

 

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