Carmela Hoefling Discusses Effects of Malnutrition During Surgery

Carmela Hoefling, RN, MSN, APN-C, AOCNP, advanced practice nurse, Gastrointestinal/Hepatobiliary Oncology Program, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, discusses the effects that malnourishment can have on surgery.

Malnourishment, which is a 10% loss of body weight within 6 months, is a common issue that patients with cancer face. When they go into surgery, patients who are malnourished tend to have longer hospital stays, prolonged recovery, and a higher rate of infection.

Hoefling found that correcting the malnourishment before surgery leads to better outcomes. However, this is not always a matter of simply feeding the patient. While some patients may be able to eat normally, others need to take their nourishment in different forms, such as in an IV form.

For more information, visit Nursing.OncLive.com.

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