Nutritional Assessment

Which anthropometric measurement is most sensitive for detecting acute protein-energy malnutrition in children?

What is the cutoff value for mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) in centimetres below which a child is classified as having severe acute malnutrition according to WHO guidelines?

A 58-year-old woman from rural Maharashtra presents to the outpatient clinic with complaints of persistent fatigue, poor wound healing after a minor surgical procedure 3 weeks ago, and generalized weakness. On examination, she appears thin with visible muscle wasting. Her BMI is 17.2 kg/m². Laboratory investigations show: serum albumin 2.8 g/dL (normal 3.5–5.0), total protein 5.2 g/dL, prealbumin 15 mg/dL (normal 20–40), and hemoglobin 9.2 g/dL. Her dietary history reveals a predominantly cereal-based diet with minimal protein intake. What is the most appropriate next step in nutritional assessment to classify the severity of her protein-energy malnutrition?

A 42-year-old man admitted to the hospital for acute pancreatitis is noted to have poor nutritional status on day 5 of admission. Clinical examination reveals temporal muscle wasting, loss of subcutaneous fat over the triceps, and reduced grip strength (18 kg in dominant hand; normal >30 kg). Serum albumin is 3.2 g/dL, prealbumin 18 mg/dL, and total lymphocyte count 1200/μL. BMI is 19.8 kg/m². The clinical team needs to assess whether this patient has protein-energy malnutrition and, if so, its classification. Which single clinical finding is most sensitive and specific for detecting early protein-energy malnutrition in this hospitalized patient?