A simple nutrition screening tool for hemodialysis nurses.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the reliability of a nurse-performed nutrition screening tool (NST) for hemodialysis (HD) patients to identify nutritionally at-risk patients.


METHODS
Tool reliability assessment.


METHODS
The setting was nine non-hospital private (n = 3) and public (n = 6) HD units in Australia (two rural and seven metropolitan). Participants were 112 HD patients.


RESULTS
A total of 112 HD patients (male = 65, female = 47) from 9 non-hospital HD units in Australia (seven metropolitan and two rural) were screened with the NST and the outcome of dietitian referral compared with Standard Dietitians Assessment. The mean age of patients was 57.6 years. Overall, the NST showed a sensitivity of 0.84 (range, 0.71 to 0.94; P < .05) and a specificity of 0.9 (range, 0.82 to 0.98; P < .05). The NST was more sensitive (sensitivity, 0.93 [range, 0.87 to 0.99; P < .05]) and was more specific for men (specificity, 0.92 [range, 0.85 to 0.99; P < .05]). Specificity was very strong in metropolitan patients (specificity, 0.94 [range, 0.87 to 1.01; P < .05]).


CONCLUSIONS
The tool was more sensitive and specific than the NST previously reported by the same investigators. The tool is particularly specific in that it screens those patients not requiring dietitian intervention. The use of this tool may benefit HD units that do not have on-site or regular dietetic support to prioritize patients needing dietitian intervention.
Bennett
Paul N
PN
Flinders University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia. paul.bennett@flinders.edu.au
Breugelmans
Leo
L
Meade
Anthony
A
Parkhurst
Dee
D
D001066:Appetite; D001315:Australia; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D004046:Dietetics; D005260:Female; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009726:Nurses; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D009752:Nutritional Status; D010710:Phosphates / Q000097:blood; D011188:Potassium / Q000097:blood; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000032:analysis; D014508:Urea / Q000097:blood
D010710:Phosphates; D012709:Serum Albumin; D014508:Urea; D011188:Potassium