Comparison of mNutric score and NRS-2002 screening tools in neurosurgery intensive care units

Background: Typically, the Nutritional Risk Screening-2002 (NRS-2002) is employed to detect the risk of malnutrition in inpatients, including those in the intensive care unit (ICU). Meanwhile, the Nutrition Risk in the Critically ill (Nutric) Score and also the modified form of it (mNutric Score) are specifically used to screen and predict mortality among ICU patients. The main aim of this study was to perform a comparative analysis between the m Nutric Score and NRS-2002 in order to early and accurately assess the risk of malnutrition in the ICU. Additionally, the study purposed to provide insights into the prospective application of nutritional screening tools. Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out on 101 patients aged 18 years and older in the Neurosurgery ICU in the province of Kayseri, Turkey, between June and September 2022. The anthropometric measurements and biochemical findings of the patients were examined. The risk of malnutrition was determined using the NRS-2002 and mNutric score and compared with each other. Results: When nutritional risk screening results were examined, no distinction was found among groups for mNutric Score (p < 0.05) or NRS-2002 levels (p > 0.05). Significant differences were observed between Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II, Glasgow coma score (GCS), Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) scores, and blood albumin levels when comparing patients in different mNutric Score risk groups (p < 0.05). Additionally, Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analysis and overall findings highlighted a divergence between mNutric Score and NRS-2002, indicating limited agreement in assessing nutritional risk. Conclusions: This study revealed that the mNutric Score and NRS-2002 demonstrated limited compatibility when assessing the nutritional risks of patients in the neurology ICU. In the ICU population, the use of mNutric Score be a more unique scale to detect nutritional risk and status of the ICU patients.