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Updated: Jul 30, 2026
06:52
Assessment of Dependence in Activities of Daily Living Among Older Patients in an Acute Care Unit
Published on: September 30, 2020
[Relationship between nutrition and ASA-classification in the elderly]
Summary
The Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) is a better tool than ASA classification for evaluating elderly patients' nutritional status before surgery. Separate nutritional assessment is crucial for managing postoperative complications.
Area of Science:
- Geriatric Medicine
- Surgical Patient Assessment
- Nutritional Science
Context:
- Elderly patients undergoing surgery face risks associated with poor nutrition.
- Preoperative assessment of nutritional status is vital for predicting postoperative outcomes.
- The Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) and ASA classification are commonly used assessment tools.
Purpose:
- To evaluate the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) in elderly patients.
- To compare MNA scores with the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) classification.
- To determine the suitability of ASA classification for assessing nutritional status in surgical patients.
Summary:
- A study included 215 outpatients over 60 years old.
- MNA scores categorized patients into normal (MNA I), at risk (MNA II), or undernourished (MNA III).
- ASA scores were recorded, and statistical analyses were performed, correlating MNA with ASA classification.
Impact:
- ASA classification showed low sensitivity (0.33) and a positive predictive value of 0.58 for nutritional status.
- MNA identified a higher percentage of patients at nutritional risk (34.9%) compared to ASA (19.9%).
- The study concludes that ASA classification is inadequate for nutritional assessment, recommending separate evaluation for optimal patient care.
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