[Malnutrition prevalence in geriatric acute Care unit according to diagnosis criteria of the French National Health Authority 2007, 2021 and those of the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition].

Abstract

As the French health authority (Haute Autorité de santé, HAS) diagnostic criteria for malnutrition have changed in 2021, moving closer to international criteria (GLIM), prevalence data for malnutrition in geriatric acute geriatric units (GACU) need to be updated. In a cohort of 235 consecutively admitted patients (average age 86 y.o.), malnutrition was diagnosed according to HAS 2007, 2021 and GLIM criteria, including screening for confirmed sarcopenia (CS). The phenotypic criteria were weight loss (23%), BMI < 22 (33%) and CS (51%). The prevalence of malnutrition was 65% (33% severe) according to HAS 2021, 46% (16% severe) according to HAS 2007 and 73% (24% severe) according to GLIM. In comparison with the HAS 2021 criteria, agreement between the HAS 2021 and 2007 criteria was poor (k = 0.278), and good with GLIM (k = 0.707). The HAS 2021 criteria identify more malnourished patients than the 2007 criteria in GACU with a high prevalence of CS.