This document defines malnutrition and discusses its prevalence, outcomes, costs, and diagnosis. Some key points: - Malnutrition affects about 45% of hospital patients and is associated with increased costs, length of stay, complications, and mortality. - Subjective global assessment (SGA) is the gold standard for diagnosing malnutrition in hospitals. It classifies patients as well-nourished, moderately malnourished, or severely malnourished. - Malnutrition increases length of stay by an average of 3 days and total costs by about 60% per patient. Treatment with oral nutritional supplements can reduce costs by improving outcomes.