Nutritional screening in critical patients: Nutritional Risk Screening 2002 to detect the risk of malnutrition

Abstract

Abstract:

Objectives: To describe the risk of malnutrition using the Nutritional Risk Screening 2002 in critically ill patients with the classification proposed by experts. To analyze the association using the proposed cut-off points of the Nutritional Risk Screening 2002 with mortality, days of stay in the Intensive Care Unit and nutritional status.

Design: diagnostic tests, reference standard, analytical, observational and cross-sectional study with retrospective data. It was done during November and December 2019.

Setting: Intensive Care Unit

Patients: 103 patients, > 18 years, in an Intensive Care Unit at least 24 hour were included. The exclusion criteria were patients in palliative cares and when the analyzed variables were insufficient.

Interventions: None

Variables of interest: Demographic data, reason for admission, mechanical ventilation, duration of mechanical ventilation, days of stay in the ICU, Nutrition Risk Screening 2002 (risk of malnutrition ≥ 3 and high risk ≥ 5), Subjective Global Assessment and mortality

Results: 49.5% were male with a [median (IQR)] age of 58 (47-67) years. Half (53.4%) presented a high risk of malnutrition and only 6.8% did not present any risk. The high risk of malnutrition had a statistically significant association with Mechanical Ventilation (<0.05), stay in the Intensive Care (p 0.001), mortality (p 0.003) and nutritional status according to Subjective Global Assessment (<0.05).

Discussion: Future controlled and randomized studies should be developed in patients with a high risk of malnutrition to determine the possible nutritional strategies in order to prevent loss of muscle mass, unfavorable clinical results and mortality associated with malnutrition.

Conclusions: The high risk of malnutrition according to the cut-off points recommended by experts allowed us to distinguish patients with malnutrition according to Subjective Global Assessment, longer stay in the Intensive Care and mortality.