Roller et al evaluated adult patients in the hospital for malnutrition. They reported the Graz Malnutrition Screening tool to identify these patients. The authors are from the University of Graz in Austria.
Patient selection: adult patient in the hospital
Parameters:
(1) percent weight loss over the past 3 months (based on current and usual weight in kilograms)
(2) body mass index in kg per square meter
(3) age in years
(4) loss of appetite
(5) problems with chewing and swallowing
(6) nausea, vomiting and/or diarrhea
(7) severity of comorbid disease: sepsis, NPUAP wound stage (for pressure ulcer), malabsorption syndrome, chemo-radiotherapy for > 1 week, malignant systemic disease, serum creatinine in mg/dL, acute gastrointestinal infection, maldigestion, chronic alcohol abuse, liver cirrhosis, systemic amyloidosis, COPD stage, heart failure NYHA stage, neurogenic dysphagia, polypharmacy (> 5 drugs)
Parameter |
Finding |
Points |
age of the patient |
< 65 years |
0 |
|
>= 65 years |
1 |
weight loss |
< 5% |
0 |
|
5-10% |
1 |
|
> 10% |
2 |
BMI and age |
< 18 and < 65 years |
2 |
|
18-20 and < 65 years |
1 |
|
> 20 and < 65 years |
0 |
|
< 20 and >= 65 years |
2 |
|
20-22 and >= 65 years |
1 |
|
> 22 and >= 65 years |
0 |
loss of appetite |
no |
0 |
|
yes |
1 |
problems with chewing and swallowing |
no |
0 |
|
yes |
1 |
nausea, vomiting, diarrhea |
no |
0 |
|
yes |
1 |
Comorbid Condition |
Finding |
Points |
sepsis |
no |
0 |
|
yes |
2 |
pressure ulcer NPUAP |
none |
0 |
|
Stage I or II |
1 |
|
Stage III or IV |
2 |
malabsorption |
no |
0 |
|
yes |
2 |
malignancy |
no |
0 |
|
without therapy |
1 |
|
chemoradiation > 1 week |
2 |
serum creatinine |
<= 5 mg/dL |
0 |
|
> 5 mg/dL |
1 |
acute GI infection |
no |
0 |
|
yes |
1 |
maldigestion |
no |
0 |
|
yes |
1 |
chronic alcohol abuse |
no |
0 |
|
yes |
1 |
liver cirrhosis |
no |
0 |
|
Child A or B |
0 |
|
Child C |
1 |
systemic amyloidosis |
no |
0 |
|
yes |
1 |
COPD |
none |
0 |
|
Stage I or II |
0 |
|
Stage III or IV |
1 |
heart failure NYHA |
none |
0 |
|
Specialty: Nutrition