Nutrition in Clinical Practice Volume XX Number X Month 201X 1 –8 © 2014 American Society for Parenteral and Enteral

ncp.sagepub.com hosted at online.sagepub.com Clinical Research Malnutrition is a major contributor to increased morbidity and mortality, leading to hospital readmissions and higher health-care costs.1-4 Current estimates of the prevalence of in-hospital malnutrition, pediatric and adult alike, range from 13%–88% depending on the patient population, disease severity, and the criteria used to identify its occurrence.3-7 In 1995, The Joint Commission mandated that nutrition screening be performed within 24 hours of hospital admission, with a full nutrition assessment completed if the screen identified an at-risk patient. In addition, periodic rescreening must occur at regular inter-vals.8 Beyond language mandating performance of nutritio