The newly revised MNA-SF is a valid nutritional screening tool applicable to geriatric health care professionals with the option of using CC when BMI cannot be calculated. This revised MNA-SF increases the applicability of this rapid screening tool in clinical practice through the inclusion of a "malnourished" category.

The MNA has gained worldwide acceptance and shows a high prevalence of malnutrition in different settings, except for the community. Because of its specific geriatric focus, the MNA should be recommended as the basis for nutritional evaluation in older people.

There is agreement among international nutrition organizations and healthcare accrediting organizations that nutrition screening is essential to identify patients needing further nutrition assessment to determine appropriate nutrition intervention. Numerous nutrition screening tools are used in hospitals, but many, if not most, have never been validated for the care setting, patient population, or outcome they strive to identify. Thus, it is unclear if they appropriately identify patients who truly need further nutrition assessment and, potentially, intervention. Several nutrition screening tools reported in the literature have been validated in a variety of care settings and patient populations and have been shown to achieve the desired outcome. These tools include the Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool, Nutritional Risk Screening 2002, Mini Nutritional Assessment, Short Nutritional Assessment Questionnaire, Malnutrition Screening Tool, and the Subjective Global Assessment. It is important for clinicians to understand how the tools were validated and for which population and care setting they were developed, and to determine if the tool might be appropriate for use in their institution.

In the early 1990s, the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA; Nestle Nutrition, Vevey, Switzerland) was developed for nutrition screening in the elderly. Since then, it became the most established and widespread screening tool for older persons and has been translated into many different languages. The MNA shows prognostic relevance with regard to functionality, morbidity, and mortality of the elderly in different settings. This article recalls the development of the MNA with its short form (MNA-SF) and reviews the literature, focusing on the most recent publications. Specific features of the application of the MNA in different settings (community, nursing home, hospital) are considered. Minor shortcomings of the tool, such as the resources and the cooperation necessary for completion of the MNA, are discussed. Future options for the adaptation of this valuable tool are briefly characterized.

Protein calorie malnutrition (PCM) is common and often undiagnosed in older adults. Left untreated, PCM carries both clinical and financial risks, including decreased quality of life, declining functionality, the inability to live independently, and increased health care costs. The prevalence of PCM in older adults calls for a systematic and standardized approach to nutrition screening that includes the use of a validated screening tool. Recommended by international organizations, the Mini Nutritional Assessment® (MNA) is highly specific and reliable and the most well-validated nutrition screening tool for adults 65 and older. Simple, noninvasive, inexpensive, and easy for nurses and other clinicians to use, the newest MNA-short form (MNA-SF) can quickly and easily identify older adults who are at risk for malnutrition or malnourished. Nurses are key players in successful malnutrition screening in hospitals, long-term care, home care, and community settings. It is strongly recommended that nurses incorporate the newest MNA-SF into all practice settings where older adults receive care.