Preoperative Nutritional Assessment Practices Among Elective Surgical Patients at University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital

Preoperative malnutrition significantly increases surgical risk, impairs wound healing, and prolongs hospital stay, yet routine nutritional screening before elective surgery is infrequently practiced in Nigerian hospitals. This study evaluates preoperative nutritional assessment practices for elective surgical patients at University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH), Kwara State, North Central Nigeria, from 2021 to 2023. A cross-sectional audit of 180 elective surgical admissions was conducted, assessing use of validated nutritional screening tools, anthropometric measurement practices, preoperative nutritional intervention rates, and documentation quality. Structured interviews were also conducted with 20 surgeons and 15 clinical dietitians. Formal nutritional screening was performed in only 23% of patients, and validated tools such as the Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST) were used in fewer than 10%. Anthropometric measurements were inconsistently documented. Preoperative nutritional supplementation was initiated in 14% of patients despite an estimated malnutrition prevalence of 31%. Surgeons cited time constraints, poor interdisciplinary referral pathways, and lack of institutional protocols as key barriers. The study recommends mandatory preoperative nutritional screening using the MUST for all elective surgical admissions, establishment of a surgical nutrition team, and protected dietitian time for preoperative assessments at UITH in North Central Nigeria. Keywords: nutritional assessment, preoperative, malnutrition, UITH Ilorin, surgical nutrition