Mini Nutritional Assessment Score as a Potential Predictor of Pressure Ulcers in Elderly Nursing Home Patients With Dementia

This retrospective study compared the presence and severity of pressure ulcers in long-term care residents with dementia based on Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) scores. Participants included 50 older adults with pressure ulcers and 50 matched controls. MNA scores for subjects with and without ulcers were significantly different (8.34 +/- 2.67 vs 9.98 +/- 2.32, P = .001). Scores based on ulcer stage did not follow a linear pattern; however, subjects with stage 4 ulcers had significantly lower scores (6.33 +/- 2.55) than subjects with stages 1 to 3 ulcers (8.90 +/- 2.70, P = .009; 9.64 +/- 2.16, P = .001; and 9.08 +/- 2.02, P = .004, respectively). Results show a relationship between low MNA scores and pressure ulcers. Thus, MNA has the potential for use in implementation of preventive measures and mitigation of ulcer progression.