Nutritional screening tools application in a general hospital: a comparative study

Authors

  • Janaína Damasceno Bezerra
  • Maria Amélia Marques Dantas
  • Sancha Helena Lima Vale
  • Márcia Marília Gomes Dantas
  • Lúcia Dantas Leite Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15448/1983-652X.2012.1.9709

Keywords:

nutrition assessment, nutritional status, patient admission

Abstract

Introduction: There are many nutritional screening tools and it becomes difficult to choose which one is the best to be used in clinical nutrition practice. Objective: To compare five nutritional screening tools (MST, NRS-2002, MUST, MNA and MNA-SF) in adults and elderly hospitalized. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study, with the application of nutritional screening tools in adult and elderly patients in the first 48 hours of hospitalization was performed. Nutritional risk occurrence between adult and elderly patients was compared. Statistical analyses were performed using descriptive data and a non-parametric test (Man Whitney). Results: We evaluated 77 patients, 51 (66.2%) adults and 26 (33.8%) elderly, aged 53.6 (standard deviation of 17.9) years, with female predominance (53.2%). The main reasons for hospitalization were neoplasia and nephrolithotripsy. Overall, one quarter of patients was at nutritional risk. Nutritional risk in adults was detected with similarity by MUST and MST. However it was underestimated by NRS-2002. The MNA and MNA-SF, exclusively for the elderly, also had similar result to detect nutritional risk. In relation to the time of application, the MNA was the instrument with longer application time. Conclusion: Considering the higher detection of patients with nutritional risk, the easiness and the lower application time, we suggest, respectively, MUST and MNA-SF to be used in adult and elderly patients admitted in this hospital.

Author Biography

Lúcia Dantas Leite, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte

Nutricionista Especialista em Nutrição Clínica Doutora em Ciências da Saúde Profa. Adjunta do Departamento de Nutrição da UFRN

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Published

2012-05-17

Issue

Vol. 5 No. 1 (2012)

Section

Original Articles

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