BACKGROUND: Nutritional risk measures the morbid-mortality potential associated to nutritional state. Obesity represents a nutritional disorder frequently in general hospital in nowadays and it may be associated with nutritional alteration, presenting prejudicial consequences to patient clinical outcome, besides being a factor related to postoperatory complications and death. AIM: To identify nutritional risk using Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool and verify the results from postoperatory complications, correlating nutritional risks and obesity. METHODS: Total of 433 adults patients hospitalized in general surgical ward were evaluated. At admission, patients were measured on body weight and height. Nutritional screening was applied after obesity definition using Body Mass Index as parameter (Kg/m²), classified in grade I (30-34,99 Kg/m²); grade II (35-39,99 Kg/m²); grade III (>40,00 Kg/m²). Follow-up patients were conducted until patient's discharge or eventual death. RESULTS: Among patients submitted to the study, 17,1% were considered obese. Nutritional risk in obese patients was verified in 23%. Complications presented during hospital staying were related to esophagus, biliary tract, vascular, head, and neck. Infections complications were pulmonary, abdominal wall, and urinary tract. Complications due to fistulas were located in gastrointestinal tract, biliary tract, and pancreas. Others complications consisted of respiratory insufficiency, lobar atelectasis, and postoperatory bleeding. CONCLUSION: Hospitalized obese patients might present nutritional risk, being obesity grade I the more frequently one in general hospital. Positive association between nutritional risk and complication frequency was verified in the present study, justifying by the nutritional screening at the hospital admission as routinely, including overweight and obese patients.
Nutritional status; Body mass index; Obesity
