NUTRIC Score
Nutritional Risk in the Critically Ill — identifies ICU patients who benefit from aggressive nutrition.
Calculator
Why use it
Standard ICU nutrition guidelines (SCCM/ASPEN) recommend NUTRIC as the preferred nutritional risk tool in the ICU. Identifies patients for whom achieving >80% of caloric target improves mortality.
About
The NUTRIC Score identifies critically ill patients who are most likely to benefit from aggressive nutritional therapy. The modified NUTRIC score excludes IL-6 (often unavailable). Higher scores indicate higher nutritional risk and potential benefit from high-dose nutrition.
When to use
- Critically ill adults within first 24-48 hours of ICU admission
- Deciding on intensity of nutritional support
- Identifying patients who benefit from early and high-dose enteral nutrition
Formula
Pearls & pitfalls
- Modified NUTRIC (without IL-6) is most commonly used in clinical practice.
- High NUTRIC + inadequate calories = worse outcomes; these patients benefit most from optimized EN.
- NUTRIC was derived specifically for ICU (unlike NRS-2002 or MUST which are for general ward).
- Score ≥5 without IL-6 (or ≥6 with IL-6) = high nutritional risk.
Next steps
Modified NUTRIC ≥5: High nutritional risk — target 100% of caloric goal; early EN within 24-48h. Score <5: Low risk — standard nutrition protocol.
Evidence
Heyland et al. JPEN 2011. Validated in Canadian ICU cohort (n=597). NUTRIC ≥5 associated with significantly higher 28-day mortality if calories <80% of goal.