Inquiry on Details of Unintentional Weight Loss from Adm History/FHPA in "chartevents" Table

[Chenghongtao99]

Dear MIMIC-IV Community Members,

I am currently conducting research on unintentional weight loss (UWL) and its impact on patient outcomes prior to ICU admission, using the MIMIC-IV database. Our focus is on UWL data recorded under item "225124" in the "chartevents" table, categorized under "Adm History/FHPA."

I seek further details on two critical aspects of this data:

1# Methods for Assessing UWL: Could you provide insights on the specific methods or criteria used in MIMIC-IV for determining UWL? Particularly, I am interested in the time frame prior to the ICU admission when the UWL was observed. How long before the admission did the UWL exceed 10 pounds? Was it a month, three months, or a year? Additionally, were standardized malnutrition screening tools (e.g., MST, MUST, MNA, NRS-2002) used in nursing admission assessments to identify UWL?

2# Prevalence and Completeness of UWL Documentation: During the data collection period (2008-2019), it appears that UWL assessments were only recorded for about half of the patients. Could you shed light on the reasons for the apparent lack of UWL assessment and documentation for a significant portion of patients? Understanding this is crucial for interpreting our findings, especially considering that absence of UWL documentation might impact the analysis and outcomes.

Thank you for your assistance. Your help is crucial for improving the accuracy of our study. Hope you have fun and happy new year!

Best regards，
Hongtao