Validation of a Nutrition Screening Tool for Pediatric Patients with Cystic Fibrosis

BackgroundIn cystic fibrosis (CF), nutrition diagnosis is of critical relevance because the early identification of nutrition-related compromise enables early, adequate intervention and, consequently, influences patient prognosis. Up to now, there has not been a validated nutrition screening tool that takes into consideration clinical variables.ObjectiveTo validate a specific nutritional risk screening tool for patients with CF based on clinical variables, anthropometric parameters, and dietary intake.DesignCross-sectional study. The nutrition screening tool was compared with a risk screening tool proposed by McDonald and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation criteria.Participants/settingPatients aged 6 to 18 years, with a diagnosis of CF confirmed by two determinations of elevated chloride level in sweat (sweat test) and/or by identification of two CF-associated genetic mutations who were receiving follow-up care through the outpatient clinic of a Cystic Fibrosis Treatment Center.Main outcome measuresEarlier identification of nutritional risk in CF patients aged 6 to 18 years when a new screening tool was applied.Statistical analyses performedAgreement among the tested methods was assessed by means of the kappa coefficient for categorical variables. Sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy values were calculated. The significance level was set at 5% (P<0.05). Statistical analyses were carried out in PASW Statistics for Windows version 18.0 (2009, SPSS Inc).ResultsEighty-two patients (49% men, aged 6 to 18 years) were enrolled in the study. The agreement between the proposed screening tool and the tool for screening nutritional risk for CF by the McDonald method was good (κ=0.804; P<0.001) and the sensitivity and specificity was 85% and 95%, respectively. Agreement with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation criteria was lower (κ=0.418; P<0.001), and the sensitivity and specificity were both 72%.ConclusionsThe proposed screening tool with defined clinical variables promotes earlier identification of nutritional risk in pediatric patients with CF.