Question

A 61-year-old male is admitted to the hospital for resection of his sigmoid colon and rectum, following discovery of a mass in the sigmoid colon by his physician during a flexible sigmoidoscopy. The patient originally complained of bright red blood in his bowel movements. He reported no significant gastrointestinal symptoms other than the bleeding. He denies any change in his functional capacity. His maximum weight was 167 lb (75.9 kg) at age 46 years. In his late 40s, he lost about 15 lb (6.8 kg) and for the past 12 years has maintained his weight at about 152 lb (69.1 kg). Between 2 and 6 months before admission, his appetite was less than normal and he gradually lost 13 lb (5.9 kg). In the past 2 months before admission, his appetite improved and he gained 5 lb (2.3 kg). On physical examination, there is no evidence of subcutaneous tissue loss, muscle wasting, edema, or ascites. Using SGA,How would you rate her nutritional status?

Answer 1

#. SGA - Subjective global assessment (SGA) evaluates whether an individual is appropriately nourished i.e. whether nutrient intake and absorption meet the nutrient requirements of an individual.

SGA is a simple bedside method used to diagnose malnutrition and identify those who would benefit from nutrition care. The assessment includes taking a history of recent intake, weight change, gastrointestinal symptoms and a clinical evaluation.

In this case , based on the history provided the patient has fluctuations in her weight , had bleeding, no evidence of subcutaneous tissue loss, muscle wasting, edema, or ascites and no functional capacity deficit. So, overall her nutrional status is good.