Appetite Stimulation After Surgery in a High Nutrition Risk Adolescent With Myotonic Dystrophy and Depression Case Report

Abstract

In hospitalized patients with chronic medical and surgical conditions, many factors can negatively affect food intake, including psychological factors and anorexia. Appetite disturbance is a common occurrence in patients presenting with complicated medical illnesses. Poor appetite may be a primary symptom directly related to the illness, or it could be attributed to a number of causes comprising fatigue, poor motivation, depression, or all of the above. There is limited research reporting on the association between depression, poor motivation, and lack of appetite contributing to malnutrition. Following is a case report on the management of a severely mal-nourished 17-year-old man admitted to the hospital with myotonic dystrophy, depression, and inflammatory bowel disease. The psychiatry consultation service was consulted to address psychological factors contributing to malnutrition. The patient's history, laboratory data, the management and hospitalization course of the patient are addressed in this study. © 2010, SAGE Publications. All rights reserved.