Assessment of Nutritional Status in Hemodialysis Patients Using Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment
J Ren Nutr. 2005 Apr; 15(2):211-6. doi: 10.1053/j.jrn.2004.10.005.
Desbrow, B., Bauer, J., Blum, C., Kandasamy, A., McDonald, A., & Montgomery, K.
Abstract
Objective: To evaluate the scored Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA) as a nutrition assessment tool in hemodialysis patients.
Design: A cross-sectional observational study assessing the nutritional status of hemodialysis patients.
Setting: Private tertiary Australian hospital.
Subjects: Sixty patients, ages 63.9 +/- 16.2 years.
Intervention: Scored PG-SGA questionnaire, comparison of PG-SGA score > or =9 with subjective global assessment (SGA), albumin, corrected arm muscle area, and triceps skinfold.
Results: According to SGA, 80% of patients were well nourished and 20% of patients were malnourished. Patients classified as well nourished (SGA-A) attained a significantly lower median PG-SGA score compared with those rated as moderately malnourished or at risk of malnutrition (SGA-B). A PG-SGA score > or =9 had a sensitivity of 83% and a specificity of 92% at predicting SGA classification. There were significant correlations between the PG-SGA score and serum albumin, PG-SGA score, and percentage weight loss over the past 6 months. There was no association between PG-SGA score and body mass index or anthropometric measurements.
Conclusion: The scored PG-SGA is an easy-to-use nutrition assessment tool that allows quick identification of malnutrition in hemodialysis patients.
