Malnutrition Universal Screening: A Case Study

In this essay, I will discuss and debate the ethical issues of the procedure of promoting a patient’s nutritional needs and assisting in oral feeding.

When in the clinical setting of a hospital the MUST tool, ‘Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool’, is used as a physical assessment to assess patient’s. This tool is to indicate what the patients’ care needs are, it also then indicates whether the patient is malnourished. (Lamb, Parr, and Warren, 2009). The ‘MUST’ tool is used to indicate the patient’s overall wellbeing, from the observation of their skin, body build, weight, mobility and mood, they can then be thoroughly assessed to make overall assessments for their nutritional needs, this can also be used to implement the correct practice

factors such as the patient’s routine, psychological wellbeing and mobility can then, become varied, due to having an illness that then weakens the body and immune system, (Harris, Young, and Hughes,198). By helping a patient eat orally and regularly helps their diet becomes modified, diet stimulation can be used when a patient is malnourished, by giving the patient frequent meals and fluids will increase metabolism and weight, although according to the NICE Guidelines nutrition still remains a larger issue in the UK. (National Institute for Clinical Excellence, NICE, 2006). When caring for the patient the BMI will show of any malnourishment, if this shown specific diet requirements and food chart implementation can be used, as well as one to one assistance, this can be applied when caring for the

The two types separate into micro ad macronutrients, macronutrients contain carbohydrates, fats and protein, micronutrients contain the vitamins and minerals, patients need this daily in order to gain strength and have the energy to be mobile, (Allison, S, 2003. ESPEN guidelines, nutrition screening 2002, 22 (4), pp.415-421). This observation will show if the patient needs specific diet requirements and oral feeding. Not only physical needs are to be taken into account but as well as the psychological side, as a patient it is important to also promote their independence when feeding them, this is to ensure that their dignity is maintained, especially in hospital being bed bound frequently, factors such as loneliness, mobility, social isolation and poverty can also put a strain on an elderly person’s nutritional intake, (Donini, Savina, and Cannella, C, 2003). Lack of social interaction and isolation can leave elderly people to go into social deprivation, this isolation exists in the UK. (Pirlich, and Lochs, 2001. Nutrition in the elderly, 15(6), pp