Which combination of elements is used in the subjective global assessment to evaluate nutritional status?

Which combination of elements is used in the subjective global assessment to evaluate nutritional status?

• A. Weight history, dietary intake and gastrointestinal symptoms
• B. Anthropometry, dietary intake and laboratory indices
• C. Weight history, laboratory indices and metabolic rate
• D. Dietary intake, plasma markers and GI symptoms

Answer: (A)

The key idea is that the subjective global assessment relies on information gathered from the patient's own history and reported symptoms to judge nutrition status. Specifically, weight history captures how the patient’s weight has changed over time, which helps identify recent or ongoing malnutrition. Dietary intake looks at how much and what the patient is actually eating, revealing adequacy of calories and nutrients. Gastrointestinal symptoms reflect factors that can limit intake or absorption, such as nausea, vomiting, or early satiety, which directly influence nutritional risk. These three elements together form the core subjective input used in the SGA. While the assessment also considers physical signs (like muscle wasting or edema) and functional capacity, those are gathered during the clinical exam rather than being part of this particular trio. Other options mix objective measurements—anthropometry, laboratory indices, metabolic rate—that pertain to objective data, not the subjective history-based portion of the SGA.

The key idea is that the subjective global assessment relies on information gathered from the patient's own history and reported symptoms to judge nutrition status. Specifically, weight history captures how the patient’s weight has changed over time, which helps identify recent or ongoing malnutrition. Dietary intake looks at how much and what the patient is actually eating, revealing adequacy of calories and nutrients. Gastrointestinal symptoms reflect factors that can limit intake or absorption, such as nausea, vomiting, or early satiety, which directly influence nutritional risk.

These three elements together form the core subjective input used in the SGA. While the assessment also considers physical signs (like muscle wasting or edema) and functional capacity, those are gathered during the clinical exam rather than being part of this particular trio. Other options mix objective measurements—anthropometry, laboratory indices, metabolic rate—that pertain to objective data, not the subjective history-based portion of the SGA.