Question 1

What is the difference between MUST and NRS-2002?

Accepted Answer

NRS-2002 includes disease severity as an explicit component, while MUST focuses on BMI, weight loss, and acute disease effect. NRS-2002 is preferred in hospitalised and acutely ill patients, while MUST is designed for community and care-home settings as well. Both are valid for hospital use.

Question 2

Which disease severity category should I choose for a patient with multiple comorbidities?

Accepted Answer

Choose the category that corresponds to the most severe disease. For example, a patient with both hip fracture (disease severity 1) and pneumonia (disease severity 2) should be scored as 2. Do not add the severity scores for multiple conditions — take the highest.

Question 3

Can NRS-2002 be used in ICU patients?

Accepted Answer

NRS-2002 is valid in ICU patients, but specific ICU nutritional risk scores (NUTRIC score, modified NUTRIC) may be more sensitive for predicting benefit from aggressive nutrition therapy in this population. Many ICUs use the mNUTRIC score alongside NRS-2002.

Question 4

How should I score a patient with cancer cachexia?

Accepted Answer

Cancer cachexia qualifies for a nutritional status score of 3 (severe) if weight loss > 5% in 1 month or BMI < 18.5 with impaired general condition. It also qualifies for a disease severity score of 2 (cancer). The combination frequently yields NRS-2002 ≥ 3, triggering nutritional support.