The Subjective Global Assessment: a review of its use in clinical practice

Abstract

Many methods of evaluating malnutrition have been proposed that combine multiple components such as dietary and medical history, amount of weight loss, biochemical variables, and anthropometry. The Subjective Global Assessment (SGA), first described by Baker et al in 1982, SGA was introduced to assess the patient for malnutrition at the bedside, without the need for precise body composition analysis. Since it was developed, the SGA has been used in various different patient populations, including surgical and oncology patients. It remains the most reliable and efficient method of nutrition assessment. The authors present a review of the SGA and how it has been used in a variety of areas within medicine.