ToolsCalculators
Nutritional Risk Index (NRI)
Nutritional Risk Index (NRI)
Serum albumin
Current weight
Usual (baseline) weight
Complete the fields above to see the result.
When to use
- Estimating perioperative malnutrition risk, e.g. to identify surgical patients who may benefit from nutrition support.
Formula
NRI = 1.519 x serum albumin (g/L) + 41.7 x (current weight / usual weight), where the weight ratio is capped at 1 if current weight exceeds usual weight. >100 no risk, 97.5-100 mild, 83.5-<97.5 moderate, <83.5 severe.
Pearls and pitfalls
- Requires a reliable usual (pre-illness) weight; unreliable if usual weight is unknown or the patient is edematous.
- If current weight exceeds usual weight, the weight ratio is capped at 1.0 - weight gain above baseline does not further lower malnutrition risk in this formula.
- Albumin is also depressed by inflammation independent of nutritional status, which can overestimate risk in acute illness.