May 25, 2021

Poor Nutritional Status, Risk of Sarcopenia and Nutrition Related Complaints Are Prevalent in COVID-19 Patients during and after Hospital Admission

Category: Article Summary

Topic: Clinical Characteristics and Health Care Setting

Keywords (Tags): clinical characteristics

• 73% of patients hospitalized for COVID-19 were at high risk of muscle tissue loss (sarcopenia) and 22% of patients experienced serious acute weight loss (>5kg), according to a prospective observational cohort in the Netherlands conducted from April to December 2020 (n=407). Muscle tissue loss was defined as ≥4 points on the SARC-F questionnaire during hospitalization. The median length of in-hospital stay was 15 days and 85% were admitted to the ICU during hospitalization. The most commonly reported complaints were decreased appetite (58%), feeling of being full (49%), and shortness of breath (43%). 

Wierdsma et al. (Apr 12, 2021). Poor Nutritional Status, Risk of Sarcopenia and Nutrition Related Complaints Are Prevalent in COVID-19 Patients during and after Hospital Admission. Clinical Nutrition ESPEN. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clnesp.2021.03.021