Nutritional assessment of pediatric patients admitted to an acute-care pediatric service utilizing anthropometric measurements.

Two hundred consecutive pediatric patients were given a nutritional assessment at the time of their admission to the hospital. A weight-for-height below the 5th percentile was an indication of acute depletion and a height-for-age below the 5th percentile a sign of chronic depletion. Measurement of weight-for-height and/or height-for-age was below the 5th percentile in 32% of those assessed. Seventy-five percent of the acutely depleted children and 60% of the acute and chronically depleted children had midarm circumferences below the 5th percentile. Midarm muscle circumference below the 5th percentile was significantly more prevalent in all the depleted children. This paper reports the results of our study of the objective (quantitative) elements of our nutritional assessment. These measurements indicate that a significant number of patients are at nutritional risk at the time they are admitted to the hospital. An adequate nutritional assessment cannot be limited to objective considerations, however. A complete medical evaluation of the patient is required, including objective and subjective considerations.