This document discusses the nutritional needs of patients from a nursing perspective. It defines nutrients and their importance for energy, tissue maintenance, and bodily functions. Nutritional needs are affected by various factors like age, activity level, medical conditions, and more. A nutritional assessment evaluates intake, lifestyle, medical history, and includes anthropometric measurements, biochemical tests, clinical exams, and dietary analyses. Nurses play an important role in meeting patients' nutritional needs by considering preferences, assisting with meals, discussing diet importance, and more.

1. NUTRITIONAL
NEEDS

2. INTRODUCTION
• For nurses providing care for patients, meeting
nutritional needs is a critical component in the
recovery process that requires an appropriate
knowledge base.
• Injury, physiological dysfunction and stress
often change the basic requirement and use of
nutrients and water for energy, cellular
function and repair of injured tissue.

3. DEFINITION
 Nutrients are defined as the constituents of
food, which perform important functions in
our body.
 If these nutrients are not present in our
body in sufficient amount, the result is ill
health.
 Important nutrients include carbohydrate,
proteins, lipids, vitamins, minerals and water.

4. IMPORTANCE OF NUTRITION
1. Supplies nutrients for energy. Energy
nutrients include carbohydrate, fats,&
proteins.
2. Supplies nutrients to build & maintain body
tissues.
3. Food supplies heat & energy for work & play.
4. Food supplies materials for regulation or control
of body process & protection of the body.

5. FACTORS AFFECTING NUTRITIONAL
NEEDS
1. Customs and beliefs
2. Religious beliefs
3. Food fads
4. Geographical
location
5. Socio economic
factor
6. Cooking practice
7. Surface area of the
body
8. Sex
9. Age
10. Physiological
condition
11. Climate and
environment
12. Physical activity

6. NUTRITIONAL ASSESSMENT
A nutritional assessment is an in-depth
evaluation of both objective and subjective
data related to an individual's food
and nutrient intake, lifestyle, and medical
history.

7. COMPONENTS OF NUTRITIONAL
ASSESSMENT
1. Anthropometric measurement
2. Biochemical assessment
3. Clinical assessment
4. Dietary method of assessment

8. 1. Anthropometric measurement
 The word anthropometry comes from two words:
Anthropo means ‘human’ and metry means
‘measurement’.
 Anthropometrics are the objective measurements
of body muscle and fat .
 They are used to compare growth in the young,
and to assess weight loss or gain in the mature
individual.
 It includes measurement of BMI, MUAC and
skinfold thickness of several areas of body.

9. A) Body mass index (BMI)
Body mass index (BMI) is a value derived
from the mass (weight) and height of a
person. The BMI is defined as the body
mass divided by the square of the body
height, and is expressed in units of kg/m2.

12. B) Mid Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC)
Mid-Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC) is
the circumference of the left upper arm,
measured at the mid-point between the tip of
the shoulder and the tip of the elbow
(olecranon process and the acromium).

14.  MUAC is recommended for use with children
between six and fifty-nine months of age
and for assessing acute energy deficiency in
adults.

16. C) Skin Fold Thickness
A skinfold caliper is used
to assess the skinfold
thickness, so that a
prediction of the total
amount of body fat can be
made.

17. To estimate the total amount of body fat,
four skinfolds are measured:
1. Biceps skinfold (front side middle upperarm)
2. Triceps skinfold (back side middle upperarm)
3. Subscapular skinfold (under the lowest point
of the shoulder blade)
4. Suprailiac skinfold (above the upper bone of
the hip)

19. Skinfold Caliper

20. 2. BIOCHEMICAL ASSESSMENT
 Biochemical or laboratory methods of
assessment include measuring a nutrient or its
metabolite in the blood, feces or urine.

21. Cont..
Examples:
1. Hyper/ hypoalbuminemia
2. Hyper/ hypoproteinemia
3. Proteinuria
4. Hyper/ hyponatremia
5. Hyper/ hypoglycemia
6. Hyper/ hypokalemia
7. Steatorrhea

22. 3. CLINICAL ASSESSMENT
1. Skin: turgor, dryness, oedema, bruising,
scaling, dermatitis , seborrhoea
2. Mucous membrane: dryness, colour, bruising,
especially gums.
3. Tongue: swelling , papillary atrophy
4. Eyes: pale or dry conjunctiva, sunken
eyeballs
5. Hair: dull looking hair or hair loss.
6. Muscle: atrophy, wasting

23. 4. DIETARY METHOD OF ASSESSMENT
Dietary methods of assessment include
looking at past or current intakes of nutrients
from food by individuals or a group to
determine their nutritional status.

24. Cont..
1. 24 hour recall- nurse asks the patient to recall
all food and drink consumed in the previous 24
hours. However, it is dependent upon the
subject’s short-term memory and may not be
very accurate.
2. Food frequency questionnaire- The patient is
given a list of foods and asked to indicate
intake per day, per week, and per month. It is
more accurate than the 24 hour recall.

26. Cont..
3. Food Diary- Food intake is recorded by the
subject at the time of eating. This method is
reliable but difficult to maintain. Also known as
a food journal or food record.

28. 4. Observed food consumption- This method
requires food to be weighed and exactly
calculated. It is very accurate but rarely used
because it is time-consuming and expensive.

29. Nursing responsibilities for meeting
nutritional needs of patient
1. Consider the patient food preferences as much as
possible.
2. Provide the patient with assistance in selecting
appropriate foods in menu.
3. Feed or assist the patient as necessary.
4. Discuss with the patient importance of balanced
therapeutic diet.
5. Inform the dietician or any special needs the patient
may have.
6. Visit the patient briefly when serving the food tray.
7. Encourage family members to visit during meal time.