Authors (including presenting author) :
Koo J(1),Liu B (1), Chan K (1), Au Yeung TW (2), Woo K(2), K C Ma (3)
Affiliation :
(1) Dietetic Department, Pok Oi Hospital (2) Department of Medicine & Geriatrics, Pok Oi Hospital (3) ASC/Mixed Specialty Wards, Pok Oi Hospital
Introduction :
Nutrition screening is performed in selected groups of patients in Pok Oi Hospital (POH). Hong Kong Chinese Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (HKC-MUST) is used to screen patients who are at risk of malnutrition. It requires information on patient’s body weight and height for calculation of body mass index (BMI) and changes in weight. For patients who are unable to stand or sit, their weights are measured by hoist weighing scales and heights are estimated by measuring their knee heights, or ulna lengths or fibula lengths with measuring tapes, then estimated heights can be calculated by equations or a conversion chart. POH nutrition working group noted the workload of ward staffs in estimating the body height and the concerns on the disinfection of measuring tapes. Therefore, POH nutrition working group members designed a disposable measuring tape to measure patients’ fibula length. The measuring tape indicates an estimated height while measurement is done. This saves the time for disinfection and reduce chance of calculation error.
Objectives :
To facilitate ward staffs to measure the estimated height in nutrition screening. To enhance the infection control in body measurement by using a disposable measuring tape.
Methodology :
Fibula length can be used for the estimation of body height. Height (in cm)=153.1-(0.26 x age )- (11.0 x sex)+(1.05x fibular length (in cm)) Sex : male = 1, female = 2 Disposable fibula measuring tapes for male and female were designed to estimate the body height by simply measuring the fibula length. POH nutrition working group members agree to use the above equation with age 75 in the measuring tape, as most of the patients who are unable to stand for height measurement are elderly.
Result & Outcome :
Disposable measuring tapes were started to use in 4Q2017. Feedback was obtained by questionnaire in 3Q2018. Total 198 questionnaires were obtained. 68.7% feedback showed ‘saving clinical time by using a disposable measuring tape’, 80% feedback showed ‘saving time for disinfection during measurement’, 64.6% feedback showed ‘prefer to continue the use of disposable measuring tape’. Other comments included inaccuracy in the estimation for younger patients. Conclusion : Disposable fibula length measuring tape is a fast and convenient tool to facilitate ward staff for the estimation of body height in obtaining BMI or in nutrition screening. Reference : Auyeung, T. W. and Lee, J. S. W., 2001. Estimation of height in older Chinese adults by measuring limb length. J Am Geriatr Soc, 49(5), pp. 684-685.
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