Prevention of complications in orthopedic surgery secondary to nutritional depletion.

One of the major factors in the prevention of complications in orthopedic surgery patients is the maintenance of adequate nutrition. Trauma and elective surgery patients have nutritional requirements that are far greater than is generally realized. The use of nutritional assessment profiles will help to reveal patients who are malnourished or becoming malnourished, and will help to assess nutritional replacement. Protein and calorie malnutrition has a significant effect on wound healing, immunocompetence, and fracture healing. Surgeons should have the nutritional status of their patients in mind at all times and thereby avoid the complications associated with malnutrition.