Assessment of nutritional status on hospital admission: nutritional scores

• Published in: European journal of clinical nutrition Vol. 57; no. 7; pp. 824 - 831
• Main Authors: ROCANDIO PABLO, A. M, ARROYO IZAGA, M, ANSOTEGUI ALDAY, L
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basingstoke Nature Publishing 01.07.2003; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Biological and medical sciences; Female; Health and social institutions; Hospitalization; Humans; Length of Stay; Male; Malnutrition; Medical sciences; Metabolic diseases; Middle Aged; Morbidity; Nutrition; Nutrition Assessment; Nutrition Disorders - diagnosis; Nutrition Disorders - epidemiology; Nutritional Status; Organization; Other nutritional diseases (malnutrition, nutritional and vitamin deficiencies...); Patients; Prevalence; Prospective Studies; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Reproducibility of Results; Sensitivity analysis; Sensitivity and Specificity; Severity of Illness Index; Software; Spain - epidemiology; Europe; Spain; Human; Evaluation; Clinical stage; clinical scores; Hospital admission; Nutrition disorder; nutritional assessment; Malnutrition; Public health; Nutritional status
• ISSN: 0954-3007; 1476-5640
• DOI: 10.1038/sj.ejcn.1601616

Malnutrition is still a largely unrecognized problem in hospitals. Malnutrition in hospitalized patients is generally related to increasing morbidity and mortality, and costs and length of stay. The aim of this study was to assess the nutritional status of patients on admission to a general hospital using different nutritional scores and to test the sensitivity and specificity of these scores. Sample population included 60 patients (55% male; 45% female) selected (aged 65.6+/-15.9 y) at random by using a computer software program. The nutritional state assessment was performed within 48 h of admission, using different nutritional indices (Subjective Global Assessment (SGA), Nutritional Risk Index (NRI), Gassull classification, Instant Nutritional Assessment (INA) and a combined index). About 78.3% of patients were found to be malnourished on admission. The frequency of malnutrition degree varied from 63.3% as assessed by the SGA to 90% with the NRI. Malnutrition severity was not related to the diagnosis. However, an elderly population was associated with a higher prevalence of malnutrition. INA was the best single score to identify patients who are malnourished or at risk of malnutrition and who may benefit from nutrition support.