A.S.P.E.N.’s Malnutrition Awareness Week Draws Attention to the State of Nutritional Care

SILVER SPRING, Md. - Sept. 15, 2014 - PRLog -- September 15-19, 2014 marks A.S.P.E.N.’s third annual Malnutrition Awareness Week, a week long campaign packed with educational programming and resource dissemination to help policymakers, health care providers, patients and caregivers better understand this often poorly diagnosed condition.

Studies find that approximately one in every three patients hospitalized in the United States is suffering from malnutrition, and in many cases patients are becoming malnourished while in the hospital. Malnutrition is associated with unfavorable outcomes including higher infection rates, poor wound healing, longer lengths of stay, and higher frequency of readmission.

“We believe that a crucial step toward treating malnutrition is to raise awareness and provide education and resources for healthcare professionals. Helping these professionals diagnose and treat malnutrition in their patients is a key goal of Malnutrition Awareness Week,” said Debra S. BenAvram, CAE, Chief Executive Officer, A.S.P.E.N.

For more information on clinical malnutrition, visit www.nutritioncare.org/maw.

# # #

The American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (A.S.P.E.N.) is dedicated to improving patient care by advancing the science and practice of nutrition support therapy and metabolism. Founded in 1976, A.S.P.E.N. is an interdisciplinary organization whose members are involved in the provision of clinical nutrition therapies, including parenteral and enteral nutrition. With more than 6,000 members from around the world, A.S.P.E.N. is a community of dietitians, nurses, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, physicians, scientists, students, and other health professionals from every facet of nutrition support clinical practice, research, and education. For more information about A.S.P.E.N., please visit http://www.nutritioncare.org.