Williams C M, Driver L T, Lumbers M
Department of Biochemistry, University of Surrey, Guildford.
J R Soc Health. 1990 Apr;110(2):41-2, 44. doi: 10.1177/146642409011000202.
The importance of nutrition in the treatment of the older hospital patient has often been underestimated. This may be because of a failure to recognize the special nutritional problems of this age group. It is important to recognize that the older patient is more likely to be admitted to hospital suffering some degree of malnutrition and the nutritional consequences of the metabolic response to trauma may be more severe in this group. More attention needs to be placed on nutritional requirements and nutrient provision during rehabilitation. Adverse nutritional consequences of illness may be prolonged in the older subject and an extended period of nutritional supplementation may be required to produce benefit. It should be emphasized that adverse clinical consequences of nutritional deficit, and advantages of nutritional support, may not be evident in the short term. Long term follow up of nutritionally disadvantaged patients, and patients who have received specialized forms of nutritional support, will be required if the true contribution of nutrition to clinical outcome is to be evaluated.
营养在老年住院患者治疗中的重要性常常被低估。这可能是因为未能认识到该年龄组特殊的营养问题。必须认识到，老年患者更有可能因某种程度的营养不良而入院，而且该组患者对创伤的代谢反应所产生的营养后果可能更为严重。在康复过程中，需要更加关注营养需求和营养供给。疾病的不良营养后果在老年患者中可能会持续更长时间，可能需要延长营养补充期才能产生益处。应当强调的是，营养缺乏的不良临床后果以及营养支持的益处可能在短期内并不明显。如果要评估营养对临床结局的真正作用，就需要对营养状况不佳的患者以及接受过特殊形式营养支持的患者进行长期随访。
