[The Mini Nutritional Assessment of the elderly in the practice of a hospital geriatrics service: inception, validation and operational characteristics].

The results of the administration of the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) of the Elderly to 197 patients (Women: 62.5%; Ages between 60-75 years: 55.4%; Older than 85 years: 9.7%; Whites: 73.7%) consecutively admitted to the Geriatrics Service of the "Hermanos Ameijeiras" Hospital (La Habana, Cuba) are presented. Sixty-nine percent of the patients had between 2 - 7 concurrent health problems. Neoplasms and lymphoproliferative processes (22.8%), heart and blood vessels diseases (15.7%), and infections (12.2%) were prevalent. The state of nutritional anthropometric and biochemical markers was as follows: Body Mass Index < 21 kg x m(-2): 30.9%; Mid-arm Circumference <22 cm: 19.3%; Leg Circumference <31 cm: 42.6%; Serum Albumin <35 g x L(-1): 20.3%. Sixty-eight percent of the patients received scores <24 after administering the MNA. It is to be noticed that 19.3% of the patients was malnourished after receiving scores < 17. MNA scores <24 were concentrated in: Neurological disorders (80.0%), Neoplasms and lymphoproliferative processes (77.8%), heart and blood vessels diseases (74.2%), gastrointestinal disorders (70.6%), infections (69.7%), Diabetes mellitus (66.7%). Patients with the lowest scores also exhibited the lowest values of anthropometric and biochemical markers. MNA score was independent from the patient's sex, skin colour, or number of concurrent health problems. Age had not any influence upon MNA score, although lower scores were observed among the oldest patients. MNA scoring was 80.0% coincident with nutritional diagnosis independently done with anthropometric and biochemical markers used either separately or combined. Aging of the Cuban population, along with increased proportions of elder patients in hospital areas should lead to consider the nutritional status of patients older than 60 years as an important predictor of the success of medical interventions and the quality of medical assistance.