MUST

• What does MUST stand for

  Malnutrition

  Universal

  Screening

  Tool
• What is MUST

  A five step screening tool, to identify adults who are malnourished or at risk of malnutrition or obesity
• step 1

  measure the height and weight to get a BMI
• step 2

  note the BMI, unplanned weight loss and MUST score
• step 3

  establish acute disease effect and score
• step 4

  add together scores from 1, 2 and 3 to obtain overall risk of malnutrition
• step 5

  use management guidelines and/or local policy to develop a care plan
• What do the scores mean

  0 - low risk of malnutrition (the patient is obese)

  1 - medium risk of malnutrition

  2 or higher - high risk of malnutritionnutrition
• What to do if your patient scores a 0 


  Routine clinical care
• what to do if our patient scores a 1

  document their dietary intake for 3 days

  low concern - repeat the screening (hospital - weekly, care home - monthly, community - every 2-3 months )

  clinical concern - follow local policy, set goals, improve and increase nutritional intake, monitor and review care plan regularly
• what to do if your patient scores 2 or more

  refer to dietician, nutritional support team or implement local policy

  set goals, improve and increase overall nutritional intake

  monitor and review care plan (hospital - weekly, care home and community - monthly)