Assessment of nutritional status in hemodialysis patients using patient-generated subjective global assessment

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 <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 <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.