Can the mini nutritional assessment (MNA®) be used as a nutrition evaluation tool for subacute inpatients over an average length of stay?

• Published in: The Journal of nutrition, health & aging health & aging, 2015-12, Vol.19 (10), p.1032-1036
• Main Authors: Mcdougall, Karen E, Cooper, P. L, Stewart, A. J, Huggins, C. E
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Aging; anthropometric measurements; Anthropometry; Australia; Biochemistry; Body Weights and Measures; C-reactive protein; C-Reactive Protein - metabolism; Dietitians; Elder care; Female; Geriatric Assessment; Geriatrics; Geriatrics/Gerontology; Humans; Inpatients; Length of Stay; Male; Malnutrition; Malnutrition - diagnosis; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Neurosciences; Nutrition; Nutrition Assessment; nutritional intervention; Nutritional Status; observational studies; Patients; planning; prealbumin; Prevalence; Primary Care Medicine; Prospective Studies; Proteins; Quality of Life Research; Rehabilitation; risk; Serum Albumin - analysis; weight
• ISSN: 1279-7707; 1760-4788
• DOI: 10.1007/s12603-015-0665-y

OBJECTIVES: The prevalence of malnutrition in subacute inpatient settings has been reported to be 30–50%. While there are a number of nutrition evaluation tools which have been validated to diagnose malnutrition, the use of a validated nutrition evaluation tool to measure changes in nutritional status during an average length of stay for a subacute inpatient has not yet been tested. This study aims to determine the potential of the full MNA® (full Mini Nutritional Assessment) and MNA® (Mini Nutritional Assessment Short Form) scores to measure change in nutritional status over an average subacute inpatient stay (21 days). DESIGN: A prospective observational study. SETTING: The study was performed in three Rehabilitation and Geriatric Evaluation and Management (GEM) wards of the Kingston Centre, Monash Health, Melbourne, Australia. PARTICIPANTS: All patients ≥65 years admitted to these wards with an expected length of stay of at least 14 days were considered for inclusion in this study. MEASUREMENTS: Nutritional status was assessed on admission using the full MNA® as part of usual dietetic care and patients were provided with nutrition intervention/diet therapy based on full MNA® classification. Full MNA® score (0–30), MNA® score (0–14), anthropometry (weight and height) and nutritional biochemistry (serum albumin, transthyretin and C-reactive protein) were compared between admission and day 20.5 ± 2.4. RESULTS: Mean age (± SD) of 83 ± 7 years, n=114. For those patients diagnosed at risk of malnutrition or malnourished (n=103), there were significant increases in full MNA® score (1.8 ± 2.4, p