weight change
Unintentional weight loss is a well-validated indicator of malnutrition.
The significance of weigh change is evaluated after the percentage of usual body weight lost in a given period of time is calculated ( Box 1.3 ).
Usually, weight change are more reflective of chronic, not acute, change in nutritional status.
The patient's weight can be unreliable or invalid due to hydration status.
Edema, anasarca, fluid resuscitation, heart failure, and chronic liver or renal disease can falsely inflate weight.