HOW TO USE SEFI®?
The use of SEFI® is recommended by the French speaking Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (SFNCM) for the evaluation of patients’ food intake. (4-5)
Every member of the healthcare team can use SEFI®.
Using SEFI® is simple, and can be performed according to two different procedures:
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A visual analogue scale
Question:
How much do you eat at the moment, ranging from ‘‘nothing at all’’ to ‘‘as usual’’?
The patient indicates the amounts of food she/he presently eats by using the slider on the scale. The result, between 0 and 10, is shown on the reverse side.
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A visual assessment of consumed portions
Order:
Please indicate the amount of food you have consumed during your latest meal (lunch or dinner).
Using the cursor or a finger, the patient assesses the portions she/he has consumed during her/his latest meal (lunch or dinner). The healthcaregiver could also do the evaluation at the end of the meal.
The visual assessment of consumed portions can be used as soon as the first meal (lunch or dinner) has been offered to the patient after hospital admission. (6-7) The use of the visual analogue scale is recommended after 48 hours of hospital stay. (8)
1. Hiesmayr M, et al. Decreased food intake is a risk factor for mortality in hospitalised patients: The Nutrition Day survey 2006. Clin Nutr 2009;28:484-491.
2. Preiser JC, Hiesmayr M, et al. Epidémiologie de la dénutrition chez le malade hospitalisé. In : Quilliot D, Thibault R, Bachmann P, Guex E, Zeanandin G, Coti-Bertrand P, Dubern B, Peretti N, Caldari D, editors. Traité de Nutrition Clinique à tous les âges de la vie, 4e ed. Éditions de la SFNCM, K’noë ; Paris 2016. Chap. 41, pages 633-646.
3. Thibault R, et al. Use of 10-point analogue scales to estimate dietary intake: A prospective study in patients nutritionally at-risk. Clin Nutr 2009;28:134-140.
9. Thibault R, et al. ESPEN guideline on hospital nutrition. Clin Nutr 2021;40:5684-5709.
16. Thibault R, Guex E, Pichard C. Comment évaluer l’état et le risque nutritionnels ? Quelle stratégie d’intervention ? Questions de Nutrition Clinique de l’Adulte, Éditions SFNCM, 2012. Chap 5:55-79.
17. Senesse P, et al. Recommandations professionnelles. Nutrition chez le patient adulte atteint de cancer : textes courts. Nutr Clin Metab 2012;26:151-158.