Final answer:
Malnourished patients with foul smelling, bulky diarrhea may have malabsorption syndrome, which affects nutrient absorption and can result in steatorrhea.
Step-by-step explanation:
Malnourished patients with foul smelling, bulky diarrhea may be experiencing malabsorption syndrome. Malabsorption syndrome is a condition where the body is not able to absorb nutrients properly, leading to various gastrointestinal symptoms. In this case, the foul smell and bulkiness of the diarrhea may be due to the malabsorption of fats, leading to steatorrhea, which is the excretion of greasy, fatty stools.