A Comprehensive Oral Intake Evaluation Tool (the Kuchi-kara Taberu Index) Facilitated Functional Eating Rehabilitation: A Case Report in a Frail Older Patient with Malnutrition and Suspected Iatrogenic Sarcopenia

Abstract

Frail older hospital patients are susceptible to malnutrition and iatrogenic sarcopenia. This can be linked to the decreased appetite and oral intake that can arise in largely bed-bound patients who do not get up even for rehabilitation and meals. The KT index was devised as an easy-to-use evaluation tool to address oral intake issues, and it has potential utility for expediting a multidisciplinary comprehensive rehabilitation program. To our knowledge, no reports have described real-world evidence on multidisciplinary team interventions with this tool. Herein, we report the case of a frail older patient whose oral intake improved following a KT Index-based intervention.