STRONGkids validation: tool accuracy.

OBJECTIVE: Validate the accuracy of the Screening Tool for Risk on Nutritional status and Growth (STRONGkids) and estimate the prevalence of malnutrition and nutritional risk in hospitalized children. METHODS: Cross-sectional study of a representative sample of children admitted to ten public pediatric emergency rooms. The sample was randomly estimated in stages, including children older than 30 days and younger than 10 years of age, of both sexes, excluding syndromic children and those in whom it was impossible to directly measure anthropometry. Weight, height, and arm circumference were measured, as well as the Z-scores of the anthropometric indices weight-for-age, height-for-age, weight-for-height, body mass index for age, and arm circumference for age, classified according to the reference curves of the World Health Organization. After the tool was applied, its accuracy tests were performed in comparison with the anthropometric data, with the evaluation of sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values. RESULTS: A total of 271 children were evaluated, 56.46% males and 41.70% younger than 2 years of age. The prevalence rates of malnutrition, nutritional risk assessed by anthropometric measurements, and nutritional risk assessed by the tool were 12.18%, 33.95%, and 78.60%, respectively. Accuracy showed sensitivity of 84.8%, specificity of 26.7%, positive predictive value of 49.8%, and negative predictive value of 67.2%, when the patients at nutritional risk were identified by anthropometry. CONCLUSION: Validation of the accuracy of STRONGkids was performed, showing high sensitivity, allowing the early identification of nutritional risk in similar populations.

Associação entre risco de disfagia e risco nutricional em idosos internados em hospital universitário de Brasília / Association between risk of dysphagia and nutritional risk in elderly inpatients at a univesity hospital of Brasília, Brazil

OBJETIVOS: Investigar a associação entre o grau de risco de disfagia e o risco nutricional dos pacientes idosos internados na clínica médica do Hospital Universitário de Brasília. MÉTODOS: Estudo transversal, analítico, original, observacional, não-controlado, com amostra de conveniência e estratificada. Foram aplicados a Mini Avaliação Nutricional e o questionário de risco de disfagia em 49 pacientes idosos nas primeiras 48 horas após admissão na clínica médica, em setembro de 2006. RESULTADOS: A freqüência de idosos foi maior na faixa etária entre 60-74 anos 11meses (78 por cento), com média de idade de 69 anos, sendo 41 por cento mulheres e 59 por cento homens. A proporção de risco de disfagia dos pacientes idosos foi de 69 por cento e do estado nutricional inadequado de 71 por cento, valor elevado principalmente entre as mulheres. Ambos os sexos se encontram em risco nutricional, masculino (20,5, Desvio-padrão - DP=5) e feminino (19, DP=6). O estudo mostrou que as mulheres apresentam uma tendência maior para risco de disfagia, porém os homens apresentam um quadro de maior gravidade (risco moderado). Foi encontrada uma correlação negativa moderada entre os valores de risco de disfagia e seus respectivos scores da Mini Avaliação Nutricional. CONCLUSÃO: Foi verificado neste estudo que os idosos apresentam dois agravantes de sua qualidade de vida: estado nutricional e disfagia, que podem ser agudizados na internação hospitalar.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to verify the association between the degree of risk of dysphagia and nutritional risk of elderly inpatients at the medical clinic of Brasíliaïs University Hospital. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional, analytic, original, observational, uncontrolled study with convenience and stratified sample. The Mini Nutritional Assessment and a questionnaire to assess risk of dysphagia were administered to 49 elderly patients within the first 48 hours after admission to the medical clinic, in September 2006. RESULTS: Most of the elderly inpatients aged from 60 to 74 years and 11 months (78 percent) with a mean age of 69 years; 41 percent were females and 59 percent were males. Sixty-nine percent of the elderly inpatients were at risk of dysphagia and 71 percent presented inadequate nutritional status, especially women. Both males (20.5, standard deviation= 5) and females (19, standard deviation= 6) were at nutritional risk. The study showed that women are more likely to develop dysphagia yet men presented a higher degree of risk (moderate risk). There is a moderate negative correlation between the values obtained for the risk of dysphagia and their respective Mini Nutritional Assessment scores. CONCLUSION: This study verified that two factors aggravate the quality of life of the elderly: their nutritional status and dysphagia. Both can worsen dramatically during hospitalization.