Malnutrition
Many disease states affect the nutritional status of hospitalized patients. Often, patients present to the hospital with some degree of malnutrition and many more develop feeding problems during their hospitalization, necessitating some form of supplemental or alternative nutrition support. Nutritional deficits have long been recognized as contributing factors to morbidity and mortality of hospitalized patients. A multidisciplinary team approach to nutrition support has been shown to reduce the complications associated with malnutrition.
At Boston Medical Center we have a group of highly trained clinicians, including Physicians, Dietitians, and Nurse Practitioners, who evaluate patients with feeding difficulties and gastrointestinal conditions that affect the ability to consume or absorb nutrients. We perform a nutritional assessment and devise individualized nutrition treatment plans for patients, which can include specialized oral diets, enteral nutrition or parenteral nutrition. We also offer long term support for patients diagnosed with malnutrition, Short Bowel Syndrome, Intestinal Failure, or those requiring home enteral or home parenteral nutrition due to a variety of other conditions.
Additional Resources
Learn more about enteral nutrition.
Learn more about parenteral nutrition.
For those patients already using Nutrition Support, there are organizations, such as the Oley Foundation, that can provide additional resources. Learn more about the Oley Foundation.
Small Bowel Syndrome (SBS)
SBS is a rare, debilitating and sometimes life-threatening disorder resulting from the loss of functional small intestine. It can result from intestinal resection after trauma, vascular events, malignancies and chronic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). SBS can have a significant impact on quality of life and life expectancy due to complications including diarrhea, dehydration and malnutrition due to intestine's compromised ability to digest food, absorb nutrients, electrolytes and water.
We at Boston Medical Center have a specialized team of Physicians and Dietitians who work collaboratively with Surgeons, Gastroenterologist and Oncologist to manage patients with SBS during acute and chronic phases. We prescribe medications like GLP (Glucagon like peptide) -2 agonist and manage home parenteral nutrition. We are also actively involved in cutting edge research to find newer treatment options for SBS like long acting GLP-1 agonist. Call or talk to your primary care doctor to make an appointment with us so we can help you lead a healthy life.
Adult Nutritional Support Team
Dong Wook Kim, MD, Nutrition Director
Kavita Sharma, MD, Nutrition Support Director
Denise Wong, MD
Maryellen L. Lopez, RD, CNSC, LDN, Clinical Nutrition Manager/Home Nutrition Support