Which of the following is part of the criteria for admitting an anorexic patient?

• A. Weight less than 75% of ideal body weight, low temperature, low pulse, and low blood pressure
• B. Weight over 100% of ideal body weight
• C. Normal vital signs and stable appetite
• D. Patient request alone

Answer: (A)

Medical instability drives the decision to admit someone with anorexia nervosa. When a patient’s weight falls to a very low level—often described as less than about 75% of ideal body weight—the body is profoundly malnourished, which can compromise organs and heart function. Combined with signs like low temperature (hypothermia), a slow pulse (bradycardia), and low blood pressure (hypotension), these indicate the patient is medically unstable and needs close inpatient monitoring, careful electrolyte management, and a supervised refeeding plan to prevent complications like refeeding syndrome.

This makes sense as the best choice because it reflects objective medical criteria for admission, focusing on physiological risk rather than just appetite or desire to be hospitalized. In contrast, being overweight or having normal vitals and a stable appetite doesn’t signal the same level of medical danger, and a patient requesting admission by itself doesn’t establish a medical indication for inpatient care. The emphasis here is on physiological instability as the trigger for hospitalization.