SCI-SCREEN: A More Targeted Nutrition Screening Model to Detect Spinal Cord-Injured Patients at Risk of Malnutrition

Abstract

To explore if SCI-SCREEN was applicable as nutritional screening model in a neurorehabilitation unit, able to detect spinal cord injury (SCI) persons at nutritional risk.

SCI-SCREEN underwent reliability test by 3 specialist nurses, using 10 consecutive SCI in-patients. Audit of 41 SCI-patients was conducted comparing SCI SCREEN with the Danish-Nutritional-Screening-Model-for-hospitalized-persons (DNSM).

Inter- and intra-tester reliability (Cohen’s Kappa: 0.89-0.93) was high. SCI-SCREEN estimated average energy needs 23% lower (mean difference± SD: 2516.2±1349.1kJ) and protein needs 10% lower (9.5±19.7g/day). Risk assessment differed in 61% (CI95: 42.1; 73.7%) of cases and risk-agreement was obtained in 22% (CI95: 10.6; 37.6%). SCI-SCREEN detected 66% (CI95: 44.5; 75.8%) and DNSM 39% at risk of malnutrition.

The SCI-SCREEN model estimates SCI-energy and protein needs more accurately than DNSM by adjusting to SCI-consequences. However, more studies are needed.

SCI-SCREEN is a reasonable starting-point in the screening procedure and may be a valuable instrument to identify SCI-patients at risk of malnutrition.