Sunday 24 / November / 2024
Muscat: Sultan Qaboos Comprehensive Cancer Care and Research Center (CQCCCRC) organised the second edition of Malnutrition Awareness Week, in a mission to combat malnutrition among cancer patients and improve malnutrition assessment and diagnosis tools.
SQCCCRC Malnutrition Awareness Week featured educational events, and two webinars focused on Nutrition-Focused Physical Assessment, providing healthcare providers with valuable insights from leading experts. In addition, The Art of healthy cooking workshop was a hold for cancer patients, to educate them in how to prepare healthy and nutritious meals that are tailored to the needs of cancer patients.
Salma Al Mahrouqi, Dietitian at SQCCCRC said: “The second edition of the Malnutrition Awareness Week at SQCCCRC was a resounding success, with excellent feedback from participants. The week's activities attracted a large number of participants from both the patient and Medical Care communities.
She added: "Malnutrition is a significant concern in the context of cancer care due to its significant impact on the patient’s response to treatment and their ability to adhere to the treatment plan, in addition to the weakness of the immune system, delayed wound healing, and other problems. Therefore, the campaign came with the aim of raising awareness among patient and medical providers in a desire to discover cases at risk of malnutrition early, and take appropriate measures to prevent complications.”
Dietitian Hanan Al Shaqsi, conducted a virtual presentation in front of the multidisciplinary team meeting. She emphasizes the importance of accurate malnutrition diagnosis within hospital settings and discusses the use of validated tools such as the AND/ASPEN Malnutrition Diagnostic Criteria in clinical settings for effective malnutrition assessment.
The Nutrition and Dietetics Department at SQCCCRC marked the culmination of the week with an engaging exhibition. The visitors were introduced to the different measurement tools used to assess loss of muscle and fat mass in the body. In addition, they had the opportunity to have their body composition analysed using a body composition analyser.
