Predicting Mortality in Older Hospitalized Patients Using Nutrition Screening Tools
Author Information
Author(s): Sarah Henderson, Nicola Moore, Emma Lee, Miles D. Witham
Primary Institution: Royal Victoria Hospital, Dundee, UK
Hypothesis
Can the Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST) and Birmingham Nutrition Risk (BNR) score predict mortality in older hospitalized patients?
Conclusion
The MUST score can predict increased mortality in older hospitalized patients, while the BNR score cannot.
Supporting Evidence
- 80 out of 115 patients had died by the time of accessing death records.
- MUST category significantly predicted death with a p-value of 0.022.
- The study included a follow-up period of over two years to ensure adequate mortality data.
Takeaway
This study found that a specific tool called MUST can help doctors figure out which older patients in the hospital are more likely to get very sick or die, while another tool called BNR doesn't work as well.
Methodology
Data were collected from consecutive admissions to Medicine for the Elderly wards, assessing BMI, MUST, and BNR scores, and comparing mortality outcomes.
Potential Biases
Potential misclassification of patients due to incomplete data on weight loss.
Limitations
Some data were missing due to patients' medical conditions, which may have affected the accuracy of the MUST score.
Participant Demographics
Mean age of participants was 82.1 years, with 34% male.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.022
Confidence Interval
95% CI 234 to 658 days
Statistical Significance
p = 0.022
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
Want to read the original?
Access the complete publication on the publisher's website