Nutritional screening tools application in a general hospital: a comparative study Aplica o de instrumentos de triagem nutricional em hospital geral: um estudo comparativo

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. Introdu o: Com inúmeros instrumentos de triagem nutricional existentes, é difícil eleger o mais adequado para os protocolos de nutri o hospitalar. Objetivo: Comparar cinco instrumentos de triagem nutricional (MST, NRS-2002, MUST, MNA e MNA-SF) em adultos e idosos hospitalizados. Materiais e Métodos: Nesse estudo transversal, cinco instrumentos de triagem nutricional foram aplicados aos pacientes nas primeiras 48 horas de interna o hospitalar. A ocorrência de risco nutricional entre adultos e idosos foi comparada. Para análise estatística, os dados foram descritos e o teste n o paramétrico de Man Whitney foi aplicado. Resultados: Foram avaliados 77 pacientes, sendo 51 (66,2%) adultos e 26 (33,8%) idosos, com média de idade de 53,6 (desvio padr o de 17,9) anos e predominancia do gênero feminino (53,2%). Os principais motivos de interna o foram neoplasia e nefrolitotripsia. De forma geral, um quarto dos pacientes estava em risco nutricional. O risco nutricional em pacientes adultos foi mais detectado pelo MUST e MST, com resultados semelhantes. Porém, esse parametro foi pouco detectado pelo NR