Malnutrition Screening Tools Show Promise in Predicting Postoperative Complications

Strategic Insights -

A recent study published in Frontiers in Nutrition has investigated the effectiveness of two nutritional risk screening tools in predicting postoperative complications in patients with gastrointestinal malignancies. The study, conducted at the Third Central Hospital of Tianjin in China, compared the Nutritional Risk Screening 2002 (NRS2002) and the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) criteria in identifying patients at risk of postoperative complications.

Key Takeaways:

  • The NRS2002 tool demonstrated slightly superior predictive ability for postoperative complications compared to the dichotomous GLIM diagnosis.
  • Nutritional risk (NRS2002 3) was identified in 45.01% (n = 212) of patients, with 43.10% (n = 203) diagnosed with malnutrition according to GLIM criteria.
  • Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that nutritional risk (adjusted OR 7.58, 95%CI: 4.75-12.05, p < 0.01) was a significant predictor of postoperative complications.
  • The study found that the use of both NRS2002 and GLIM criteria for preoperative risk stratification could guide targeted nutritional interventions and improve patient outcomes.
  • The research was conducted on a prospective cohort of 471 patients with gastrointestinal malignancies scheduled for surgical resection between December 2019 and December 2024.

Statistics:

  • 45.01% (n = 212) of patients were identified as being at nutritional risk using the NRS2002 tool.
  • 43.10% (n = 203) of patients were diagnosed with malnutrition according to the GLIM criteria.
  • The adjusted odds ratio (OR) for nutritional risk in predicting postoperative complications was 7.58 (95%CI: 4.75-12.05, p < 0.01).
  • 471 patients were enrolled in the study, with 212 patients identified as being at nutritional risk and 203 patients diagnosed with malnutrition.

Sources:

  • Frontiers in Nutrition, 2025,12.
  • https://doi-org.sdpl.idm.oclc.org/10.3389/fnut.2025.1641539
  • Dongping Xu, Department of Nutrition, Third Central Hospital of Tianjin, Tianjin, People's Republic of China.
  • Huaying Yan, Jingjing Wang, Ping Zheng, additional authors.
  • NewsRx. Third Central Hospital of Tianjin Researchers Detail Research in Malnutrition (Value analysis of preoperative NRS2002 and GLIM screening in predicting postoperative complications in patients with gastrointestinal malignancies). World Disease Weekly. November 4, 2025; p 107.