Comparison of Preoperative Nutritional Assessment Tools for Predicting Postoperative Pulmonary Complications in Older Adults Undergoing Cardiac Surgery
In a prospective cohort of 217 older adults undergoing elective cardiac surgery, 39.6% developed pulmonary complications. Among four tools, the Nutrition Alert Form had the highest AUC at only 0.643, and no tool remained independently associated after clinical adjustment. Nutritional screening should complement, not replace, perioperative risk assessment.