ESPEN guidelines on nutritional support for polymorbid internal medicine patients

Conceptualising comorbidity and multimorbidity in dementia: A scoping review and syndemic framework

Background

Older people and people with dementia experience a high prevalence of multiple health conditions. The terms 'comorbidity' and 'multimorbidity' are often used interchangeably to describe this, however there are key conceptual differences between these terms and their definitions. This has led to issues in the validity and comparability of research findings, potentially inappropriate intervention development and differences in quality of health care.

Objective

To review how the terms 'comorbidity' and 'multimorbidity' are defined within peer-reviewed dementia research and propose an operational framework.

Design

A scoping review of definitions within dementia research was carried out. Searches took place across five databases: Academic Search Premier, CINAHL Complete, MEDLINE, PsycARTICLES and PsycINFO. PRISMA-ScR guidelines were followed.

Results

Content analysis revealed five key themes, showing significant overlap and inconsistencies from both within, and between, the comorbidity and multimorbidity definitions; 1. Number of conditions; 2. Type of health conditions; 3. The co-occurrence of conditions; 4. The inclusion of an index disease (or not); 5. Use of medical language. The analysis also revealed gaps in how the underlying concepts of the definitions relate to people with dementia living with multiple health conditions.

Conclusion

This scoping review found that current definitions of comorbidity and multimorbidity are heterogeneous, reductionist and disease-focussed. Recommendations are made on the design of research studies including transparency and consistency of any terms and definitions used. A syndemic framework could be a useful tool for researchers, clinicians and policy makers to consider a more holistic picture of a person with dementia's health and wellbeing.

Association between oral nutritional supplementation and clinical and nutritional outcomes in the management of hospital malnutrition

Objective: To evaluate the association between oral nutritional supplementation and clinical and nutritional outcomes in the management of hospital malnutrition. Methods: This is a longitudinal observational study conducted by collecting electronic medical records of patients admitted to a university hospital between 2019 and 2020. Malnourished adult and elderly patients, who have been eating exclusively orally and using a nutritional supplement, were included.Sociodemographic, clinical, biochemical, nutritional risk, nutritional assessment, acceptance of nutritional prescription and characteristics of the nutritional supplement used were analyzed. An α = 5% was considered. Results: Forty patients were evaluated, most of them elderly and male. Among the oral nutritional supplements, the high-calorie and high-protein types were more prevalent, with an offer twice a day, average use of 39 days, and total acceptance of the nutritional prescription by only 30% of the patients. This nutritional intervention resulted in a slight improvement in anthropometric data, with no significant difference. Conclusion: Using the oral nutritional supplement for a longer period and better adherence would possibly present greater nutritional benefits to patients.

Distribution of oral nutritional supplements with medication: Is there a benefit? A systematic review

OBJECTIVES

Disease-related malnutrition remains a major burden for patients and health care systems. The Medication Pass Nutritional Supplement Program (MEDPass) involves providing patients with oral nutritional supplements (ONS) in unusually small amounts three to four times per day during medication rounds. This systematic review aims to evaluate the impact of MEDPass ONS administration on compliance, total energy and protein intake, food intake, body weight and handgrip strength in hospitalized adults and nursing-home residents.

METHODS

We conducted a systematic literature search in the databases MEDLINE, Embase, ScienceDirect, and the Cochrane Library and included randomized controlled trials (RCTs), non-RCTs, and before-after studies. Validated tools specific to the study design were used to assess the included studies.

RESULTS

Ten studies were identified, including two RCTs, three non-RCTs, and five before-after trials. Compliance increased by 23.4% to 66% with MEDPass administration, resulting in compliance rates of 72.7% to 96%. With MEDPass administration, body weight increased by 1% to 6.8% or remained stable. The assessed evidence on total energy intake is ambiguous for protein, with a trend toward an increased intake. Trials on energy intake from food show mixed results as well. One study suggested a slight increase in handgrip strength. The included studies predominantly raise concerns for bias.

CONCLUSIONS

We conclude that MEDPass ONS administration increases compliance in hospitalized adults and nursing-home residents. For all other outcomes, robust and well-powered trials are necessary.

Evaluation of a Novel Artificial Intelligence System to Monitor and Assess Energy and Macronutrient Intake in Hospitalised Older Patients

Malnutrition is common, especially among older, hospitalised patients, and is associated with higher mortality, longer hospitalisation stays, infections, and loss of muscle mass. It is therefore of utmost importance to employ a proper method for dietary assessment that can be used for the identification and management of malnourished hospitalised patients. In this study, we propose an automated Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based system that receives input images of the meals before and after their consumption and is able to estimate the patient's energy, carbohydrate, protein, fat, and fatty acids intake. The system jointly segments the images into the different food components and plate types, estimates the volume of each component before and after consumption, and calculates the energy and macronutrient intake for every meal, based on the kitchen's menu database. Data acquired from an acute geriatric hospital as well as from our previous study were used for the fine-tuning and evaluation of the system. The results from both our system and the hospital's standard procedure were compared to the estimations of experts. Agreement was better with the system, suggesting that it has the potential to replace standard clinical procedures with a positive impact on time spent directly with the patients.

The reorganisation of nutritional assessment and care in a hospital that became a COVID centre during the COVID-19 pandemic

In the early months of 2020, Europe was confronted by a pandemic that originated in China, which initially affected its territories in different ways. Parts of northern Italy were among the regions most affected. At the same time, Ticino, a small canton of Switzerland geographically wedged into Italian territory, had an incidence rate comparable to that of hard-hit Lombardy. Home to 350,000 inhabitants and separated from the rest of Switzerland by the Alps, Ticino had to face the first part of the pandemic with little available knowledge. The cantonal authorities decided to transform two active hospitals into COVID centres, concentrating all coronavirus patients there. Since the virus was new and there were no clear guidelines for managing it, the nutritional team on site had to reorganise to provide patient care, adapting their strategy to accommodate the evolution of the pandemic and growing medical knowledge. This paper explains how one of these teams developed a model to deal with the first wave of COVID, maintaining it during the second and current third wave of the pandemic.

ESPEN guideline on hospital nutrition

In hospitals through Europe and worldwide, the practices regarding hospital diets are very heterogeneous. Hospital diets are rarely prescribed by physicians, and sometimes the choices of diets are based on arbitrary reasons. Often prescriptions are made independently from the evaluation of nutritional status, and without taking into account the nutritional status. Therapeutic diets (low salt, gluten-free, texture and consistency modified, …) are associated with decreased energy delivery (i.e. underfeeding) and increased risk of malnutrition. The European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (ESPEN) proposes here evidence-based recommendations regarding the organization of food catering, the prescriptions and indications of diets, as well as monitoring of food intake at hospital, rehabilitation center, and nursing home, all of these by taking into account the patient perspectives. We propose a systematic approach to adapt the hospital food to the nutritional status and potential food allergy or intolerances. Particular conditions such as patients with dysphagia, older patients, gastrointestinal diseases, abdominal surgery, diabetes, and obesity, are discussed to guide the practitioner toward the best evidence based therapy. The terminology of the different useful diets is defined. The general objectives are to increase the awareness of physicians, dietitians, nurses, kitchen managers, and stakeholders towards the pivotal role of hospital food in hospital care, to contribute to patient safety within nutritional care, to improve coverage of nutritional needs by hospital food, and reduce the risk of malnutrition and its related complications.

ESPEN practical guideline: Home enteral nutrition

This ESPEN practical guideline will inform physicians, nurses, dieticians, pharmacists, caregivers and other home enteral nutrition (HEN) providers in a concise way about the indications and contraindications for HEN, as well as its implementation and monitoring. This guideline will also inform interested patients requiring HEN. Home parenteral nutrition is not included but will be addressed in a separate ESPEN guideline. The guideline is based on the ESPEN scientific guideline published before, which consists of 61 recommendations that have been reproduced and renumbered, along with the associated commentaries that have been shorted compared to the scientific guideline. Evidence grades and consensus levels are indicated. The guideline was commissioned and financially supported by ESPEN and the members of the guideline group were selected by ESPEN.

Management of disease-related malnutrition for patients being treated in hospital

Disease-related malnutrition in adult patients who have been admitted to hospital is a syndrome associated with substantially increased morbidity, disability, short-term and long-term mortality, impaired recovery from illness, and cost of care. There is uncertainty regarding optimal diagnostic criteria, definitions for malnutrition, and how to identify patients who would benefit from nutritional intervention. Malnutrition has become the focus of research aimed at translating current knowledge of its pathophysiology into improved diagnosis and treatment. Researchers are particularly interested in developing nutritional interventions that reverse the negative effects of disease-related malnutrition in the hospital setting. High-quality randomised trials have provided evidence that nutritional therapy can reduce morbidity and other complications associated with malnutrition in some patients. Screening of patients for risk of malnutrition at hospital admission, followed by nutritional assessment and individualised nutritional interventions for malnourished patients, should become part of routine clinical care and multimodal treatment in hospitals worldwide.

Malnutrition in patients with COVID-19: assessment and consequences

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

COVID-19 disease often presents with malnutrition and nutrition impact symptoms, such as reduced appetite, nausea and loss of taste. This review summarizes the most up-to-date research on nutritional assessment in relation to mortality and morbidity risk in patients with COVID-19.

RECENT FINDINGS

Numerous studies have been published on malnutrition, muscle wasting, obesity, and nutrition impact symptoms associated with COVID-19, mostly observational and in hospitalized patients. These studies have shown a high prevalence of symptoms (loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, dysphagia, fatigue, and loss of smell and taste), malnutrition, micronutrient deficiencies and obesity in patients with COVID-19, all of which were associated with increased mortality and morbidity risks.

SUMMARY

Early screening and assessment of malnutrition, muscle wasting, obesity, nutrition impact symptoms and micronutrient status in patients with COVID-19, followed by pro-active nutrition support is warranted, and expected to contribute to improved recovery. There is limited research on nutritional status or nutrition impact symptoms in patients living at home or in residential care. RCTs studying the effects of nutrition intervention on clinical outcomes are lacking. Future research should focus on these evidence gaps.

Impact of Controlling a Nutritional Status Score on Wound Healing in Patients with Chronic Limb-Threatening Ischemia after Endovascular Treatment

Background: Chronic limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI) is the most advanced stage of peripheral artery disease. Therefore, a multidisciplinary approach is necessary to avoid major amputation in CLTI patients. Malnutrition worsens the condition of CLTI patients, and therefore, it may be important to evaluate the nutritional status in patients with CLTI. This study was designed to evaluate the baseline patient characteristics and the influence of the controlling nutritional status (CONUT) score on the clinical results. Method and Results: A retrospective, single-center, non-randomized study was conducted to evaluate the associations of death, major amputation, and wound healing rate at 12 months with the CONUT score on admission. Consecutive CLTI patients (mean age 73.2 ± 10.4 years; 84 males) who underwent endovascular therapy (EVT) for infra-popliteal lesions at Fukuoka University Hospital from January 2014 to May 2019 were enrolled and divided into two groups (higher and lower CONUT score groups). The higher CONUT group showed a higher percentage of dialysis (66.7% vs. 33.9%, p < 0.001) and a higher clinical frailty scale (5.9 ± 1.4 vs. 4.9 ± 1.9, p = 0.005) than the lower CONUT group. Rates of amputation-free survival were 89.5% and 69.8% in the lower and higher CONUT groups, respectively. In addition, rates of wound healing at 12 months were 98.0% and 78.3% in the lower and higher CONUT groups, respectively. Multivariate regression analysis demonstrated that a higher CONUT score was an independent predictor for delayed wound healing (OR: 11.2; 95% CI: 1.29–97.5; p = 0.028). Conclusion: An assessment of the nutritional status using the CONUT score could be useful for predicting wound healing, and earlier nutritional intervention may improve the outcome of CLTI patients. Early examination and treatment, along with raising awareness of the issue, may be important for improving the prognosis.

Nutritional trials using high protein strategies and long duration of support show strongest clinical effects on mortality.: Results of an updated systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

There is increasing evidence from randomized-controlled trials demonstrating that nutritional support improves clinical outcomes in the population of malnourished medical inpatients. We investigated associations of trial characteristics including clinical setting, duration of intervention, individualization of nutritional support and amount of energy and protein, and effects on clinical outcomes in an updated meta-analysis.

METHODS

We searched Cochrane Library, MEDLINE and EMBASE, from inception to December 15, 2020. Randomized-controlled trials investigating the effect of oral and enteral nutritional support interventions, when compared to usual care, on clinical outcomes of malnourished non-critically ill medical inpatients were included. Two reviewers independently extracted data and assessed risk of bias. The primary endpoint was all cause-mortality within 12-months.

RESULTS

We included 29 randomized-controlled trials with a total of 7,166 patients. Heterogeneity across RCTs was high, with overall moderate study quality and mostly moderate or unclear risk of bias. Overall, there was an almost 30%-reduction in mortality in patients receiving nutritional support compared to patients not receiving nutritional support (253/2960 [8.5%] vs. 336/2976 [11.3%]) with an odds ratio of 0.72 (95% CI 0.57 to 0.91, p = 0.006). The most important predictors for the effect of nutritional trials on mortality were high protein strategies (odds ratio 0.57 vs. 0.93, I² = 86.3%, p for heterogenity = 0.007) and long-term nutritional interventions (odds ratio 0.53 vs. 0.85, I² = 76.2%, p for heterogenity = 0.040). Nutritional support also reduced unplanned hospital readmissions and length of hospital stay.

CONCLUSIONS

There is increasing evidence from randomized trials showing that nutritional support significantly reduces mortality, unplanned hospital readmissions and length of stay in medical inpatients at nutritional risk, despite heterogeneity and varying methodological quality among trials. Trials with high-protein strategies and long-lasting nutritional support interventions were most effective.

Monitoring of gastric residual volume during enteral nutrition

BACKGROUND

The main goal of enteral nutrition (EN) is to manage malnutrition in order to improve clinical outcomes. However, EN may increase the risks of vomiting or aspiration pneumonia during gastrointestinal dysfunction. Consequently, monitoring of gastric residual volume (GRV), that is, to measure GRV periodically and modulate the speed of enteral feeding according to GRV, has been recommended as a management goal in many intensive care units. Yet, there is a lack of robust evidence that GRV monitoring reduces the level of complications during EN. The best protocol of GRV monitoring is currently unknown, and thus the precise efficacy and safety profiles of GRV monitoring remain to be ascertained.

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the efficacy and safety of GRV monitoring during EN.

SEARCH METHODS

We searched electronic databases including CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase, and CINAHL for relevant studies on 3 May 2021. We also checked reference lists of included studies for additional information and contacted experts in the field.

SELECTION CRITERIA

We included randomized controlled trials (RCTs), randomized cross-over trials, and cluster-RCTs investigating the effects of GRV monitoring during EN. We imposed no restrictions on the language of publication.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Two review authors independently screened the search results for eligible studies and extracted trial-level information from each included study, including methodology and design, characteristics of study participants, interventions, and outcome measures. We assessed risk of bias for each study using Cochrane's risk of bias tool. We followed guidance from the GRADE framework to assess the overall certainty of evidence across outcomes. We used a random-effects analytical model to perform quantitative synthesis of the evidence. We calculated risk ratios (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for dichotomous and mean difference (MD) with 95% CIs for continuous outcomes.

MAIN RESULTS

We included eight studies involving 1585 participants. All studies were RCTs conducted in ICU settings. Two studies (417 participants) compared less-frequent (less than eight hours) monitoring of GRV against a regimen of more-frequent (eight hours or greater) monitoring. The evidence is very uncertain about the effect of frequent monitoring of GRV on mortality rate (RR 0.91, 95% CI 0.60 to 1.37; I² = 8%; very low-certainty evidence), incidence of pneumonia (RR 1.08, 95% CI 0.64 to 1.83; heterogeneity not applicable; very low-certainty evidence), length of hospital stay (MD 2.00 days, 95% CI -2.15 to 6.15; heterogeneity not applicable; very low-certainty evidence), and incidence of vomiting (RR 0.14, 95% CI 0.02 to 1.09; heterogeneity not applicable; very low-certainty evidence). Two studies (500 participants) compared no GRV monitoring with frequent (12 hours or less) monitoring. Similarly, the evidence is very uncertain about the effect of no monitoring of GRV on mortality rate (RR 0.87, 95% CI 0.62 to 1.23; I² = 51%; very low-certainty evidence), incidence of pneumonia (RR 0.70, 95% CI 0.43 to 1.13; heterogeneity not applicable; very low-certainty evidence), length of hospital stay (MD -1.53 days, 95% CI -4.47 to 1.40; I² = 0%; very low-certainty evidence), and incidence of vomiting (RR 1.47, 95% CI 1.13 to 1.93; I² = 0%; very low-certainty evidence). One study (322 participants) assessed the impact of GRV threshold (500 mL per six hours) on clinical outcomes. The evidence is very uncertain about the effect of the threshold for GRV at time of aspiration on mortality rate (RR 1.01, 95% CI 0.74 to 1.38; heterogeneity not applicable; very low-certainty evidence), incidence of pneumonia (RR 1.03, 95% CI 0.72 to 1.46; heterogeneity not applicable; very low-certainty evidence), and length of hospital stay (MD -0.90 days, 95% CI -2.60 to 4.40; heterogeneity not applicable; very low-certainty evidence). Two studies (140 participants) explored the effects of returning or discarding the aspirated/drained GRV. The evidence is uncertain about the effect of discarding or returning the aspirated/drained GRV on the incidence of vomiting (RR 1.00, 95% CI 0.06 to 15.63; heterogeneity not applicable; very low-certainty evidence) and volume aspirated from the stomach (MD -7.30 mL, 95% CI -26.67 to 12.06, I² = 0%; very low-certainty evidence) We found no studies comparing the effects of protocol-based EN strategies that included GRV-related criteria against strategies that did not include such criteria.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

The evidence is very uncertain about the effect of GRV on clinical outcomes including mortality, pneumonia, vomiting, and length of hospital stay.

Towards personalized nutritional treatment for malnutrition using machine learning-based screening tools

Early identification of patients at risk of malnutrition or who are malnourished is crucial in order to start a timely and adequate nutritional therapy. Yet, despite the presence of many nutrition screening tools for use in the hospital setting, there is no consensus regarding the best tool as well as inadequate adherence to screening practices which impairs the achievement of effective nutritional therapy. In recent years, artificial intelligence and machine learning methods have been widely used, across multiple medical domains, to aid clinical decision making and to improve quality and efficiency of care. Therefore, Yin and colleagues propose a machine learning based individualized decision support system aimed to identify and grade malnutrition in cancer patients by applying unsupervised and supervised machine learning methods on nationwide cohort. This approach, demonstrate the ability of machine learning methods to create tools to recognize malnutrition. The machine learning based screening serves as a first layer in a nutritional therapy workflow and provides improved support for decision making of health professionals to fit individualized nutritional therapy in at-risk patients.

Liver disorders in COVID-19, nutritional approaches and the use of phytochemicals

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), has affected millions of people globally. It was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization in March 2020. The hyperinflammatory response to the entry of SARS-CoV-2 into the host through angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 is the result of a "cytokine storm" and the high oxidative stress responsible for the associated symptomatology. Not only respiratory symptoms are reported, but gastrointestinal symptoms (diarrhea, vomiting, and nausea) and liver abnormalities (high levels of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase transaminases, and bilirubin) are observed in at least 30% of patients. Reduced food intake and a delay in medical services may lead to malnutrition, which increases mortality and poor outcomes. This review provides some strategies to identify malnutrition and establishes nutritional approaches for the management of COVID-19 and liver injury, taking energy and nutrient requirements and their impact on the immune response into account. The roles of certain phytochemicals in the prevention of the disease or as promising target drugs in the treatment of this disease are also considered.

Weight trajectories and abdominal adiposity in COVID-19 survivors with overweight/obesity

BACKGROUND

COVID-19 is associated with unintentional weight loss. Little is known on whether and how patients regain the lost weight. We assessed changes in weight and abdominal adiposity over a three-month follow-up after discharge in COVID-19 survivors.

METHODS

In this sub-study of a large prospective observational investigation, we collected data from individuals who had been hospitalized for COVID-19 and re-evaluated at one (V1) and three (V2) months after discharge. Patient characteristics upon admission and anthropometrics, waist circumference and hunger levels assessed during follow-up were analyzed across BMI categories.

RESULTS

One-hundred-eighty-five COVID-19 survivors (71% male, median age 62.1 [54.3; 72.1] years, 80% with overweight/obesity) were included. Median BMI did not change from admission to V1 in normal weight subjects (-0.5 [-1.2; 0.6] kg/m2, p = 0.08), but significantly decreased in subjects with overweight (-0.8 [-1.8; 0.3] kg/m2, p < 0.001) or obesity (-1.38 [-3.4; -0.3] kg/m2, p < 0.001; p < 0.05 vs. normal weight or obesity). Median BMI did not change from V1 to V2 in normal weight individuals (+0.26 [-0.34; 1.15] kg/m2, p = 0.12), but significantly increased in subjects with overweight (+0.4 [0.0; 1.0] kg/m2, p < 0.001) or obesity (+0.89 [0.0; 1.6] kg/m2, p < 0.001; p = 0.01 vs. normal weight). Waist circumference significantly increased from V1 to V2 in the whole group (p < 0.001), driven by the groups with overweight or obesity. At multivariable regression analyses, male sex, hunger at V1 and initial weight loss predicted weight gain at V2.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with overweight or obesity hospitalized for COVID-19 exhibit rapid, wide weight fluctuations that may worsen body composition (abdominal adiposity). CLINICALTRIALS.

GOV REGISTRATION

NCT04318366.

Association of metabolomic markers and response to nutritional support: A secondary analysis of the EFFORT trial using an untargeted metabolomics approach

BACKGROUND & AIMS

The EFFORT trial reported a substantial risk reduction for adverse events and mortality in medical in-patients receiving a nutritional support intervention. With the use of an untargeted metabolomics approach, we investigated the prognostic and therapeutic potential of metabolomic markers to understand, whether there are distinct metabolic patterns associated with malnutrition risk as assessed by the Nutritional Risk screening (NRS 2002) score, the risk of 30-day mortality and the response to nutritional support, respectively.

METHODS

Out of the 2088 samples we randomly selected 120 blood samples drawn on day 1 after hospital admission and before treatment initiation. Samples were stratified by NRS 2002, treatment allocation (intervention vs. control), and mortality at 30 days, but not on the type of medical illness. We performed untargeted analysis by liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS).

RESULTS

We measured 1389 metabolites in 120 patients of which 81 (67.5%) survived until day 30. After filtering, 371 metabolites remained, and 200 were matched to one or more Human Metabolome Data Base (HMDB) entries. Between group analysis showed a slight distinction between the treatment groups for patients with a NRS 3, but not for those with NRS 4 and ≥ 5. C-statistic between those who died and survived at day 30 ranged from 0.49 (95% confidence interval 0.35-0.68) for a combination of 5 metabolites/predictors to 0.66 (95% confidence interval 0.53-0.79) for a combination of 100 metabolites. Pathway analysis found significant enrichment in the pathways for nitrogen, vitamin B3 (nicotinate and nicotinamide), leukotriene, and arachidonic acid metabolisms in nutritional support responders compared to non-responders.

CONCLUSION

In our heterogenous population of medical inpatients with different illnesses and comorbidities, metabolomic markers showed little prognostic and therapeutic potential for better phenotyping malnutrition and response to nutritional therapy. Future studies should focus on more selected patient populations to understand whether a metabolomic approach can advance the nutritional care of patients.

Disease-Related Malnutrition and Sarcopenia Predict Worse Outcome in Medical Inpatients: A Cohort Study

(1) Background: Both sarcopenia and disease-related malnutrition (DRM) are unfortunately underdiagnosed and undertreated in our Western hospitals, which could lead to worse clinical outcomes. Our objectives included to determine the impact of low muscle mass (MM) and strength, and also DRM and sarcopenia, on clinical outcomes (length of stay, death, readmissions at three months, and quality of life). (2) Methodology: Prospective cohort study in medical inpatients. On admission, MM and hand grip strength (HGS) were assessed. The Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) criteria were used to diagnose DRM and EWGSOP2 for sarcopenia. Assessment was repeated after one week and at discharge. Quality of life (EuroQoL-5D), length of stay (LoS), readmissions and mortality are reported. (3) Results: Two hundred medical inpatients, median 76.0 years-old and 68% with high comorbidity. 27.5% met GLIM criteria and 33% sarcopenia on admission, increasing to 38.1% and 52.3% on discharge. Both DRM and sarcopenia were associated with worse QoL. 6.5% died and 32% readmission in 3 months. The odds ratio (OR) of mortality for DRM was 4.36 and for sarcopenia 8.16. Readmissions were significantly associated with sarcopenia (OR = 2.25) but not with DRM. A higher HGS, but not MM, was related to better QoL, less readmissions (OR = 0.947) and lower mortality (OR = 0.848) after adjusting for age, sex, and comorbidity. (4) Conclusions: In medical inpatients, mostly polymorbid, both DRM but specially sarcopenia are associated with poorer quality of life, more readmissions, and higher mortality. Low HGS proved to be a stronger predictor of worse outcomes than MM.

Malnutrition in Older Adults-Recent Advances and Remaining Challenges

Malnutrition in older adults has been recognised as a challenging health concern associated with not only increased mortality and morbidity, but also with physical decline, which has wide ranging acute implications for activities of daily living and quality of life in general. Malnutrition is common and may also contribute to the development of the geriatric syndromes in older adults. Malnutrition in the old is reflected by either involuntary weight loss or low body mass index, but hidden deficiencies such as micronutrient deficiencies are more difficult to assess and therefore frequently overlooked in the community-dwelling old. In developed countries, the most cited cause of malnutrition is disease, as both acute and chronic disorders have the potential to result in or aggravate malnutrition. Therefore, as higher age is one risk factor for developing disease, older adults have the highest risk of being at nutritional risk or becoming malnourished. However, the aetiology of malnutrition is complex and multifactorial, and the development of malnutrition in the old is most likely also facilitated by ageing processes. This comprehensive narrative review summarizes current evidence on the prevalence and determinants of malnutrition in old adults spanning from age-related changes to disease-associated risk factors, and outlines remaining challenges in the understanding, identification as well as treatment of malnutrition, which in some cases may include targeted supplementation of macro- and/or micronutrients, when diet alone is not sufficient to meet age-specific requirements.

Value of handgrip strength to predict clinical outcomes and therapeutic response in malnourished medical inpatients: Secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Disease-related malnutrition is associated with loss of muscle mass and impaired functional status. Handgrip strength (HGS) has been proposed as an easy-to-use tool to assess muscle strength in clinical practice.

OBJECTIVES

We investigated the prognostic implications of HGS in patients at nutritional risk with regard to clinical outcomes and response to nutritional support.

METHODS

This was a secondary analysis of the randomized controlled, multicenter, Effect of Early Nutritional Support on Frailty, Functional Outcome, and Recovery of Malnourished Medical Inpatients Trial, which compared the effects of individualized nutritional support with usual hospital food in medical inpatients at nutritional risk. Our primary endpoint was 30-d all-cause mortality. The association between sex-specific HGS and clinical outcomes was investigated using multivariable regression analyses, adjusted for randomization, age, weight, height, nutritional risk, admission diagnosis, comorbidities, interaction terms, and study center. We used interaction terms to investigate possible effect modification regarding the nutritional support intervention.

RESULTS

Mean ± SD HGS in the 1809 patients with available handgrip measurement was 17.0 ± 7.1 kg for females and 28.9 ± 11.3 kg for males. Each decrease of 10 kg in HGS was associated with increased risk of 30-d mortality (female: adjusted OR: 2.11; 95% CI: 1.23, 3.62, P = 0.007; male: adjusted OR: 1.44; 95% CI: 1.07, 1.93, P = 0.015) and 180-d mortality (female: adjusted OR: 1.45; 95% CI: 1.0, 2.10, P = 0.048; male: adjusted OR: 1.55; 95% CI: 1.28, 1.89, P < 0.001). Individualized nutritional support was most effective in reducing mortality in patients with low HGS (adjusted OR: 0.29; 95% CI: 0.10, 0.82 in patients in the ≤10th percentile compared with OR: 0.98; 95% CI: 0.66, 1.48 in patients in the >10th percentile; P for interaction = 0.026).

CONCLUSIONS

In medical inpatients at nutritional risk, HGS provided significant prognostic information about expected mortality and complication risks and helps to identify which patients benefit most from nutritional support. HGS may thus improve individualization of nutritional therapy.This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT02517476.

Cost savings associated with nutritional support in medical inpatients: an economic model based on data from a systematic review of randomised trials

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Nutritional support improves clinical outcomes during hospitalisation as well as after discharge. Recently, a systematic review of 27 randomised, controlled trials showed that nutritional support was associated with lower rates of hospital readmissions and improved survival. In the present economic modelling study, we sought to determine whether in-hospital nutritional support would also return economic benefits.

METHODS

The current economic model applied cost estimates to the outcome results from our recent systematic review of hospitalised patients. In the underlying meta-analysis, a total of 27 trials (n=6803 patients) were included. To calculate the economic impact of nutritional support, a Markov model was developed using transitions between relevant health states. Costs were estimated accounting for length of stay in a general hospital ward, hospital-acquired infections, readmissions and nutritional support. Six-month mortality was also considered. The estimated daily per-patient cost for in-hospital nutrition was US$6.23.

RESULTS

Overall costs of care within the model timeframe of 6 months averaged US$63 227 per patient in the intervention group versus US$66 045 in the control group, which corresponds to per patient cost savings of US$2818. These cost savings were mainly due to reduced infection rate and shorter lengths of stay. We also calculated the costs to prevent a hospital-acquired infection and a non-elective readmission, that is, US$820 and US$733, respectively. The incremental cost per life-day gained was -US$1149 with 2.53 additional days. The sensitivity analyses for cost per quality-adjusted life day provided support for the original findings.

CONCLUSIONS

For medical inpatients who are malnourished or at nutritional risk, our findings showed that in-hospital nutritional support is a cost-effective way to reduce risk for readmissions, lower the frequency of hospital-associated infections, and improve survival rates.

Nutrition risk prevalence and nutrition care recommendations for hospitalized and critically-ill patients with COVID-19

Nutritional status is an often-overlooked component in infectious disease severity. Hospitalized or critically ill patients are at higher risk of malnutrition, and rapid assessment and treatment of poor nutritional status can impact clinical outcomes. As it relates to the COVID-19 pandemic, an estimated 5% of these patients require admission to an ICU. Per clinical practice guidelines, nutrition therapy should be a core component of treatment regimens. On account of the urgent need for information relating to the nutritional support of these patients, clinical practice guidance was published based on current critical care guidelines. However, a growing body of literature is now available that may provide further direction for the nutritional status and support in COVID-19 patients. This review, intended for the health care community, provides a heretofore lacking in-depth discussion and summary of the current data on nutrition risk and assessment and clinical practice guidelines for medical nutrition therapy for hospitalized and critically ill patients with COVID-19.

Nutrition in Cancer Patients Positive for COVID-19; Case Series and a Systematic Review of Literature

Cancer is making patients vulnerable to diseases by impairing immunity directly or by anticancer therapy. In COVID-19 era, it is mandatory to face cancer with more organized & prompter response. Nutrition plays an important role in prevention & management of cancer patients. The objective of this study is to understand the role of nutrition in cancer patients during Corvid 19 era. We conducted literature searches till May 2020, electronic databases, evidence-based collections, relevant websites and trial registries about SARS-CoV2/COVID-19 and nutrition in cancer patients. Search generated 836 sources; 83/836 sources were relevant. This review summarized role of nutrition in predisposition, prevention and management of COVID-19 in cancer patient and role of vitamins, mineral supplements and microbiota in era of COVID-19. In this review, implementing appropriate nutritional care with vitamins or mineral supplementation & their effect on outcome remain largely unknown. COVID co-infection with cancer whether under chemotherapy or not have worse outcome especially in male adults. Findings may help in creating recommendations on nutritional protocol of management & prevention of complications during ongoing COVID-19 pandemic for all cancer patients.

Comparing the Performance of Calf Circumference, Albumin, and BMI for Predicting Mortality in Immobile Patients

Background

Immobile patients often suffer from malnutrition and low calf circumference (CC), a potential surrogate marker of low muscle mass, which has been widely explored as a link with mortality among patients with inconsistent results. In addition, studies comparing CC, BMI, and albumin to predict mortality among immobile patients are limited. The aim of our study was to compare the performance of these three parameters for predicting mortality among immobile patients.

Methods

This is a secondary analysis of our previous study consisting of immobile patients, age>18 years. Data were collected between November 2015 and March 2016 by trained nurses through a case report form (CRF) that included clinical data and sociodemographic variables. In addition, anthropometric parameters, including body weight, height and calf circumference, were also measured. The outcome of our study was mortality with follow-up length being 90 days. Multivariate linear and logistic regression analysis were adopted to identify the association between CC and mortality, and a receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was also used to compare the performance of CC, BMI, and albumin.

Results

Of the 387 patients who were included (51.42% male), with an average age of 61.22 (SD=15.18), the prevalence of mortality was 5.43%. The results showed that, after full adjustment, calf circumference was a protective factor for reducing the risk of mortality (OR=0.79; 95%CI:0.65–0.96). Meanwhile, immobile patients with low calf circumference had an increased risk of mortality, compared to those whose condition was normal (OR=4.24; 95%CI:1.07–16.74). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that CC combined with albumin (AUC=0.812; 95% CI=0.733–0.890) had the highest AUC value compared to calf circumference (AUC=0.759; 95%CI:0.662–0.856), BMI (AUC=0.653; 95%CI:0.538–0.767) and albumin (AUC=0.735; 95% CI:0.638–0.832), respectively, in predicting mortality in immobile patients.

Conclusion

The relationship between calf circumference and mortality was significantly negative and low calf circumference was associated with a high risk of 90-day mortality, compared to those with normal calf circumference. The combined calf circumference with albumin had good discrimination in predicting mortality among immobile patients. Therefore, it can routinely be used in a clinical setting by medical staff to predict mortality in immobile patients, as it is easy to obtain.

Nutrition and Immunity in COVID-19

Nutrition can strongly influence infection trajectories by either boosting or suppressing the immune system. During the recently emerged pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), individuals who possess diets high in fat, refined carbohydrates, and sugars have shown to be highly prone to the disease and associated adverse outcomes. Both micronutrients and macronutrients provide benefits at different stages of the infection. Thus, using appropriate nutritional recommendations and interventions is necessary to combat the infection in patients with COVID-19 in both outpatient and inpatient settings.

Optimizing Inpatient Nutrition Care of Adult Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease in the 21st Century

Malnutrition is highly prevalent in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients and disproportionately affects those admitted to hospital. Malnutrition is a risk factor for many complications in IBD, including prolonged hospitalization, infection, greater need for surgery, development of venous thromboembolism, post-operative complications, and mortality. Early screening for malnutrition and prompt nutrition intervention if indicated has been shown to prevent or mitigate many of these outlined risk factors. There are many causes of malnutrition in IBD including reduced oral food intake, medications, active inflammation, and prior surgical resections. Hospitalization can further compound pre-existing malnutrition through inappropriate diet restrictions, nil per os (NPO) for endoscopy and imaging, or partial bowel obstruction, resulting in "post-hospital syndrome" after discharge and readmission. The aim of this article is to inform clinicians of the prevalence and consequences of malnutrition in IBD, as well as available screening and assessment tools for diagnosis, and to offer an organized approach to the nutritional care of hospitalized adult IBD patients.

COVID-19 and endocrine and metabolic diseases. An updated statement from the European Society of Endocrinology

BACKGROUND

COVID-19 has completely changed our daily clinical practice as well as our social relations. Many organs and biological systems are involved in SARS-Cov-2 infection, either due to direct virus-induced damage or to indirect effects that can have systemic consequences. Endocrine system is not only an exception but its involvement in COVID-19 is so relevant that an "endocrine phenotype" of COVID-19 has progressively acquired clinical relevance.

AIM

We have been appointed by the European Society of Endocrinology (ESE) to update with the current statement ESE members and the whole endocrine community on the emerging endocrine phenotype of COVID-19 and its implication for the prevention and management of the disease.

CONCLUSIONS

Diabetes has a major role in this phenotype since it is one of the most frequent comorbidities associated with severity and mortality of COVID-19. Careful management including treatment modifications may be required for protecting our patients rather with known diabetes from the most dangerous consequences of COVID-19 or hospitalized with COVID-19, but also in patients with SARS-CoV-2 induced newly onset diabetes. Obesity increases susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 and the risk for COVID-19 adverse outcome. Adequate nutritional management needs to be granted to patients with obesity or undernourishment in order to limit their increased susceptibility and severity of COVID-19 infection. Lack of vitamin D, hypocalcemia and vertebral fractures have also emerged as frequent findings in the hospitalized COVID-19 population and may negatively impact on the outcome of such patients. Also, in patients with adrenal insufficiency prompt adaptation of glucocorticoid doses may be needed. Moreover, in this updated statement role of sex hormones as well as peculiar pituitary and thyroid aspects of COVID-19 have been included. Finally, in view of the mass vaccination, potential implications for endocrine patients should be considered.

The impact of nutritional support on malnourished inpatients with aging-related vulnerability

OBJECTIVES

Malnutrition is highly prevalent in patients with aging-related vulnerability defined by very old age (≥80 y), physical frailty or cognitive impairment, and increases the risks for morbidity and mortality. The effects of individualized nutritional support for patients with aging-related vulnerability in the acute hospital setting on mortality and other clinical outcomes remains understudied.

METHODS

For this secondary analysis of the randomized-controlled Effect of Early Nutritional Support on Frailty, Functional Outcomes, and Recovery of Malnourished Medical Inpatients Trial (EFFORT), we analyzed data of patients at a nutritional risk (Nutritional Risk Screening 2002 score ≥3 points) with aging-related vulnerability, randomized to receive protocol-guided individualized nutritional support to reach specific protein and energy goals (intervention group) or routine hospital food (control group). The primary endpoint was all-cause 30-d mortality.

RESULTS

Of the 881 patients with aging-related vulnerability, 23.4% presented with a frailty syndrome, 81.8% were age ≥80 y and 15.3% showed cognitive impairment. Patients with aging-related vulnerability receiving individualized nutritional support compared with routine hospital food showed a >50% reduction in the risk of 30-day mortality (60 of 442 [13.6%] versus 31 of 439 [7.1%]; odds ratio: 0.48; 95% confidence interval, 0.31-0.76; P = 0.002). Significant improvements were also found for long-term mortality at 180 days, as well as functional outcomes and quality of life measures.

CONCLUSIONS

Malnourished patients with aging-related vulnerability show a significant and clinically relevant reduction in the risk of mortality and other adverse clinical outcomes after individualized in-hospital nutritional support compared to routine hospital nutrition. These data support the early screening of patients with aging-related vulnerability for nutritional risk, followed by a nutritional assessment and implementation of individualized nutritional interventions.

Coronavirus Disease 19 from the Perspective of Ageing with Focus on Nutritional Status and Nutrition Management-A Narrative Review

The novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (COVID-19) has hit older adults harder due to a combination of age-related immunological and metabolic alterations. The aim of this review was to analyze the COVID-19 literature with respect to nutritional status and nutrition management in older adults. No studies only on people aged 65+ years were found, and documentation on those 80+ was rare. Age was found to be strongly associated with worse outcomes, and with poor nutritional status. Prevalence of malnutrition was high among severely and critically ill patients. The studies found a need for nutrition screening and management, and for nutrition support as part of follow-up after a hospital stay. Most tested screening tools showed high sensitivity in identifying nutritional risk, but none were recognized as best for screening older adults with COVID-19. For diagnosing malnutrition, the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) criteria are recommended but were not used in the studies found. Documentation of olfactory and gustatory dysfunction in relation to nutritional status is missing in older adults. Other COVID-19-associated factors with a possible impact on nutritional status are poor appetite and gastrointestinal symptoms. Vitamin D is the nutrient that has attracted the most interest. However, evidence for supplementation of COVID-19 patients is still limited and inconclusive.

Nutritional risk is a predictor for long-term mortality: 5-Year follow-up of the EFFORT trial

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

The nutritional risk screening (NRS 2002) is a validated screening tool for malnutrition. This study aims to investigate the prognostic value of the NRS 2002 and its individual components regarding long-term mortality and adverse outcomes in a well-characterized cohort of medical inpatients.

METHODS

We performed a 5-year follow-up investigation of patients included in the investigator-initiated, prospective, randomized controlled multicenter EFFORT trial that evaluated the effects of individualized nutritional intervention vs. standard hospital food. We used multivariable cox regression analyses adjusted for randomisation arm, study centre, comorbidities and main admission diagnosis to investigate associations between NRS 2002 total scores at time of hospital admission and several long-term outcomes.

RESULTS

We had confirmed mortality data over the mean follow-up time of 3.2 years in 1874 from the initial cohort of 2028 EFFORT patients. Mortality showed a step-wise increase in patients with NRS 3 (289/565 [51.2%]) and NRS 4 (355/717 [49.6%]) to 59.5% (353/593) in patient with NRS≥5 corresponding to an adjusted Hazard Ratio (HR) of 1.28 (95%CI 1.15 to 1.42, p ≤ 0.001) for mortality after one year and 1.13 (95%CI 1.05 to 1.23, p = 0.002) for the overall time period. All individual components of NRS including disease severity, food intake, weight loss and BMI provided prognostic information regarding long-term mortality risk.

CONCLUSION

Nutritional risk mirrored by a NRS 2002 total score is a strong and independent predictor of long-term mortality and morbidity in polymorbid medical inpatients particularly in patients with high nutritional risk with an NRS ≥5 points.

Energy and protein intake in medical and geriatric inpatients with MEDPass versus conventional administration of oral nutritional supplements: study protocol for the randomized controlled MEDPass Trial

Background

Disease-related malnutrition is highly prevalent in hospitalized medical and geriatric inpatients. It is associated with negative outcomes such as muscle wasting, decline of functional status, and increased morbidity and mortality. Oral nutritional supplements (ONS) are frequently used in nutritional therapy to increase intake. However, compliance to ONS is often limited and maybe improved by prescribing ONS in small portions timed with the medication (MEDPass). However, it is unknown whether the MEDPass administration enhances patients’ total energy and protein intake.

Methods

The MEDPass Trial is a randomized, controlled, open-label superiority trial. Patients in the MEDPass group receive 50 ml of ONS four times per day, distributed with the medication rounds. Patients in the control group receive ONS between meals. The primary outcome is average daily energy intake (% of calculated daily requirement). For our power analysis, we assumed that administration of ONS in the MEDPass administration mode increases energy intake by at least 10% (i.e., by 200 kcal for an average energy requirement of 2200 kcal/day). Thus, with the inclusion of 200 patients, this trial has 80% power to demonstrate that intervention group patients have an average intake of 2200 kcal/day (SD 500 kcal) versus 2000 kcal/day (SD 500 kcal) in control group patients. Energy and protein intakes from ONS and all food consumed are monitored continuously throughout the hospital stay and are statistically compared to the patient’s requirements. Secondary outcomes include average daily protein intake (% of calculated daily requirement), average intake of ONS/day, the course of body weight, handgrip strength, appetite, and nausea. Furthermore, hospital length of stay and 30-day mortality are assessed. The primary statistical analysis will be performed as an intention-to-treat analysis adjusted for the stratification factors used in randomization.

Discussion

To our knowledge, this is the first randomized controlled trial assessing total energy and protein intake for the entire hospitalization period in patients receiving MEDPass versus conventional ONS administration. Thus, the MEDPass Trial will fill a gap and answer this relevant clinical question.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03761680. Registered on 3 December 2018. Kofam.ch SNCTP000003191. Registered on 15 October 2018

Admission kidney function is a strong predictor for the response to nutritional support in patients at nutritional risk

BACKGROUND

Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are at substantial risk of malnutrition, which negatively affects clinical outcomes. We investigated the association of kidney function assessed at hospital admission and effectiveness of nutritional support in hospitalized medical patients at risk of malnutrition.

METHODS

This is a secondary analysis of an investigator-initiated, randomized-controlled, Swiss multicenter trial (EFFORT) that compared individualised nutritional support with usual hospital food on clinical outcomes. We compared effects of nutritional support on mortality in subgroups of patients stratified according to kidney function at the time of hospital admission (estimated glomerular filtration rates [eGFR] <15, 15-29, 30-59, 60-89 and ≥ 90 ml/min/1.73 m²).

RESULTS

We included 1943 of 2028 patients (96%) from the original trial with known admission creatinine levels. Admission eGFR was a strong predictor for the beneficial effects of nutritional support in regard to lowering of 30-day mortality. Patients with an eGFR <15, 15-29 and 30-59 had the strongest mortality benefit (odds ratios [95%CI] of 0.24 [0.05 to 1.25], 0.37 [0.14 to 0.95] and 0.39 [0.21 to 0.75], respectively), while patients with less severe impairment in kidney function had a less pronounced mortality benefits (p for interaction 0.001). A similar stepwise association of kidney function and response to nutritional support was found also for other secondary outcomes.

CONCLUSION

In medical inpatients at nutritional risk, admission kidney function was a strong predictor for the response to nutritional therapy. Initial kidney function may help to individualize nutritional support in the future by identification of patients with most clinical benefit.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION

Registered under ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier no. NCT02517476.

Nutrition evaluation and management of critically ill patients with COVID-19 during post-intensive care rehabilitation

Background

Among hospitalized patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19), up to 12% may require intensive care unit (ICU) management. The aim of this prospective cohort study is to assess nutrition status and outcome in patients with COVID‐19 following ICU discharge.

Methods

Patients requiring a minimum of 14 days’ stay in the ICU with mechanical ventilation were included. Nutrition status was assessed at inclusion (ICU discharge) and follow‐up (after 15, 30, and 60 days). All patients had standardized medical nutrition therapy with defined targets regarding energy (30 kcal/kg/d) and protein intake (1.5 g/kg/d).

Results

Fifteen patients were included (67% males); the median age was 60 (33–75) years old. Body mass index at ICU admission was 25.7 (IQR, 24–31) kg/m². After a median ICU stay of 33 (IQR, 26–39) days, malnutrition was present in all patients (11.3% median weight loss and/or low muscle mass based on handgrip strength measurement). Because of postintubation dysphagia in 60% of patients, enteral nutrition was administered (57% nasogastric tube; 43% percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy). After 2 months, a significant improvement in muscle strength was observed (median handgrip strength, 64.7% [IQR, 51%–73%] of the predicted values for age vs 19% [IQR, 4.8%–28.4%] at ICU discharge [P < 0.0005]), as well as weight gain of 4.3 kg (IQR, 2.7–6.7 kg) (P < 0.0002).

Conclusions

Critically ill patients with COVID‐19 requiring ICU admission and mechanical ventilation have malnutrition and low muscle mass at ICU discharge. Nutrition parameters improve during rehabilitation with standardized medical nutrition therapy.

The centenary of the Harris-Benedict equations: How to assess energy requirements best? Recommendations from the ESPEN expert group

BACKGROUND & AIMS

The year 2019 marked the centenary of the publication of the Harris and Benedict equations for estimation of energy expenditure. In October 2019 a Scientific Symposium was organized by the European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (ESPEN) in Vienna, Austria, to celebrate this historical landmark, looking at what is currently known about the estimation and measurement of energy expenditure.

METHODS

Current evidence was discussed during the symposium, including the scientific basis and clinical knowledge, and is summarized here to assist with the estimation and measurement of energy requirements that later translate into energy prescription.

RESULTS

In most clinical settings, the majority of predictive equations have low to moderate performance, with the best generally reaching an accuracy of no more than 70%, and often lead to large errors in estimating the true needs of patients. Generally speaking, the addition of body composition measurements did not add to the accuracy of predictive equations. Indirect calorimetry is the most reliable method to measure energy expenditure and guide energy prescription, but carries inherent limitations, greatly restricting its use in real life clinical practice.

CONCLUSIONS

While the limitations of predictive equations are clear, their use is still the mainstay in clinical practice. It is imperative to recognize specific patient populations for whom a specific equation should be preferred. When available, the use of indirect calorimetry is advised in a variety of clinical settings, aiming to avoid under-as well as overfeeding.

Organizational issues of home parenteral nutrition during COVID-19 pandemic: Results from multicenter, nationwide study

Objectives

Patients on home parenteral nutrition (HPN) are prone to severe complications of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. The pandemic requires adaptation of the health care standards, including epidemiologic surveillance, logistics of home supply, and monitoring. Potential lack of medical professionals may worsen the standard of care. The aim of this study was to evaluate the medical staff resources in HPN units.

Results

The study was conducted by major Polish scientific societies in clinical nutrition. A questionnaire was distributed among all Polish adult HPN centers concerning statistics from the first 3 mo of the pandemic (March through May 2020). Data on medical staff resources and organizational issues of the units were collected. Modifications of the home procedures, SARS-CoV-2 infection rates of HPN patients and health care workers (HCW) were analyzed. Influence of the pandemic on the rates of new qualifications for home artificial nutrition (HAN) was estimated. Fourteen of 17 adult Polish HPN units took part in the study. The point prevalence of HPN in Poland was 30.75/1 million citizens. Of HCWs, 344 were involved in patient care in Polish HPN units; 18.9% were physicians (49% surgeons, 18.46% internal medicine specialists, 15.38% anesthesiologists, 7.69% pediatricians, 1.54% palliative care specialists), 32.27% nurses, 5.23% dietitians, 9.01% pharmacists, 4.94% pharmacy technicians, 3.2% pharmacy assistants, 5.81% administrative workers, 3.49% physiotherapists. HAN patient-to-HCW ratios for physicians, nurses, pharmacists, dietitians were 49.5, 29.15, 111.6, and 181.6, respectively. Medium ages of physicians and nurses were 45.6 and 44.15 y, respectively. Slightly less than half (53.8%) of physicians and 31.53% of nurses worked parallelly in hospital wards. Thirty-one pharmacists overall were working in all HPN units (2.21 per unit) as were 18 dietitians (1.3 per unit). Nine patients had a confirmed COVID-19 infection (four HPN, five home enteral nutrition). All the units introduced telemedicine solutions in the first months of the pandemic. The number of new qualifications for HPN and home enteral nutrition in the units did not significantly decline from March through May in comparison with a similar period in 2019.

Conclusions

A shortage of HPN medical professionals requires attention when planning health care organization, especially during a pandemic. Severe restrictions in public health systems may not reduce the number of new qualifications for the HPN procedure. There is a need for the continuation of data collection during the evolution of the pandemic as it may have a detrimental effect on HPN including serious issues with access to professional HCWs.

ESPEN guideline on clinical nutrition in hospitalized patients with acute or chronic kidney disease

Acute kidney disease (AKD) - which includes acute kidney injury (AKI) - and chronic kidney disease (CKD) are highly prevalent among hospitalized patients, including those in nephrology and medicine wards, surgical wards, and intensive care units (ICU), and they have important metabolic and nutritional consequences. Moreover, in case kidney replacement therapy (KRT) is started, whatever is the modality used, the possible impact on nutritional profiles, substrate balance, and nutritional treatment processes cannot be neglected. The present guideline is aimed at providing evidence-based recommendations for clinical nutrition in hospitalized patients with AKD and CKD. Due to the significant heterogeneity of this patient population as well as the paucity of high-quality evidence data, the present guideline is to be intended as a basic framework of both evidence and - in most cases - expert opinions, aggregated in a structured consensus process, in order to update the two previous ESPEN Guidelines on Enteral (2006) and Parenteral (2009) Nutrition in Adult Renal Failure. Nutritional care for patients with stable CKD (i.e., controlled protein content diets/low protein diets with or without amino acid/ketoanalogue integration in outpatients up to CKD stages four and five), nutrition in kidney transplantation, and pediatric kidney disease will not be addressed in the present guideline.

Baseline and Updated Information on Nutritional Status in Patients With Chronic Limb Threatening Ischaemia Undergoing Revascularisation

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to assess the impact of baseline and updated nutritional status on prognosis in patients with chronic limb threatening ischaemia (CLTI) undergoing revascularisation.

METHODS

The clinical database of the Surgical reconstruction versus Peripheral INtervention in pAtients with critical limb isCHemia (SPINACH) study, a prospective, multicentre, observational study, was used. The current analysis included 499 patients who underwent endovascular therapy or surgical reconstruction for CLTI. Nutritional status at baseline was evaluated using the Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index (GNRI; baseline GNRI). A GNRI <82 points indicates major nutrition related risk. GNRI was also calculated at 1, 3, 6, 12, 24, and 36 months after revascularisation (updated GNRI). The association between baseline and updated GNRIs and the mortality risk was analysed with the Cox regression model.

RESULTS

Mean ± standard deviation (SD) GNRI at baseline was 89.9 ± 9.8 points. The proportion of patients alive with a GNRI ≥82 points was 78% (95% confidence interval [CI] 74-81) at baseline but gradually decreased during follow up, finally reaching 19% (95% CI 0-42) at 36 months. In patients with a GNRI <82 points at baseline, a GNRI of ≥82 points was increased to 37% (95% CI 6-68) 12 months after revascularisation. In the multivariable analysis, baseline and updated GNRIs were associated with a reduced mortality risk independently of each other; the adjusted hazard ratios per 1 SD were 0.80 (95% CI 0.65-0.98; p = .031) and 0.66 (95% CI 0.49-0.91; p = .015), respectively. Similar findings were observed when nutritional status was evaluated using the Controlling Nutritional Stats (CONUT) score, except for the association between its updated value and mortality risk, which marginally lost significance.

CONCLUSION

There was still room for improvement in nutritional status after revascularisation for patients with CLTI. Updated GNRI was associated with death independently of baseline GNRI.

Evaluation of Nutritional Support and In-Hospital Mortality in Patients With Malnutrition

IMPORTANCE

Malnutrition affects a considerable proportion of patients in the hospital and is associated with adverse clinical outcomes. Recent trials found a survival benefit among patients receiving nutritional support.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate whether there is an association of nutritional support with in-hospital mortality in routine clinical practice.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

This cohort study was conducted from April 2013 to December 2018 among a population of patients from Swiss administrative claims data. From 114 264 hospitalizations of medical patients with malnutrition, 34 967 patients (30.6%) receiving nutritional support were 1:1 propensity score matched to patients with malnutrition in the hospital who were not receiving nutritional support. Patients in intensive care units were excluded. Data were analyzed from February 2020 to November 2020.

EXPOSURES

Receiving nutritional support, including dietary advice, oral nutritional supplementation, or enteral and parenteral nutrition.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

The primary outcome was all-cause in-hospital mortality. Secondary outcomes were 30-day all-cause hospital readmission and discharge to a postacute care facility. Poisson and logistic regressions were used to estimate incidence rate ratios (IRRs) and odds ratios (ORs) of outcomes.

RESULTS

After matching, the study identified 69 934 hospitalizations of patients coded as having malnutrition in the cohort (mean [SD] age, 73.8 [14.5] years; 36 776 [52.6%] women). Patients receiving nutritional support, compared with those not receiving nutritional support, had a lower in-hospital mortality rate (2525 of 34 967 patients died [7.2%] vs 3072 of 34 967 patients died [8.8%]; IRR, 0.79 [95% CI, 0.75-0.84]; P < .001) and a reduced 30-day readmission rate (IRR, 0.95 [95% CI, 0.91-0.98]; P = .002). In addition, patients receiving nutritional support were less frequently discharged to a postacute care facility (13 691 patients [42.2%] vs 14 324 patients [44.9%]; OR, 0.89 [95% CI, 0.86-0.91]; P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

These findings suggest that nutritional support was associated with reduced mortality among patients in the medical ward with malnutrition. The results support data found by randomized clinical trials and may help to inform patients, clinicians, and authorities regarding the usefulness of nutritional support in clinical practice.

Endoscopic management of enteral tubes in adult patients - Part 1: Definitions and indications. European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ESGE) Guideline

ESGE recommends considering the following indications for enteral tube insertion: (i) clinical conditions that make oral intake impossible (neurological conditions, obstructive causes); (ii) acute and/or chronic diseases that result in a catabolic state where oral intake becomes insufficient; and (iii) chronic small-bowel obstruction requiring a decompression gastrostomy.Strong recommendation, low quality evidence.ESGE recommends the use of temporary feeding tubes placed through a natural orifice (either nostril) in patients expected to require enteral nutrition (EN) for less than 4 weeks. If it is anticipated that EN will be required for more than 4 weeks, percutaneous access should be considered, depending on the clinical setting.Strong recommendation, low quality evidence.ESGE recommends the gastric route as the primary option in patients in need of EN support. Only in patients with altered/unfavorable gastric anatomy (e. g. after previous surgery), impaired gastric emptying, intolerance to gastric feeding, or with a high risk of aspiration, should the jejunal route be chosen.Strong recommendation, moderate quality evidence.ESGE suggests that recent gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding due to peptic ulcer disease with risk of rebleeding should be considered to be a relative contraindication to percutaneous enteral access procedures, as should hemodynamic or respiratory instability.Weak recommendation, low quality evidence.ESGE suggests that the presence of ascites and ventriculoperitoneal shunts should be considered to be additional risk factors for infection and, therefore, further preventive precautions must be taken in these cases.Weak recommendation, low quality evidence.ESGE recommends that percutaneous tube placement (percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy [PEG], percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy with jejunal extension [PEG-J], or direct percutaneous endoscopic jejunostomy [D-PEJ]) should be considered to be a procedure with high hemorrhagic risk, and that in order to reduce this risk, specific guidelines for antiplatelet or anticoagulant use should be followed strictly.Strong recommendation, low quality evidence.ESGE recommends refraining from PEG placement in patients with advanced dementia.Strong recommendation, low quality evidence.ESGE recommends refraining from PEG placement in patients with a life expectancy shorter than 30 days.Strong recommendation, low quality evidence*.

Trends and Novel Research in Hospital Nutrition Care: A Narrative Review of Leading Clinical Nutrition Journals

Hospital malnutrition is a longstanding problem that continues to be underrecognized and undertreated. The aim of this narrative review is to summarize novel, solution-focused, recent research or commentary to update providers on the prevention of iatrogenic malnutrition as well as the detection and treatment of hospital malnutrition. A narrative review was completed using the top 11 clinically relevant nutrition journals. Of the 13,850 articles and editorials published in these journals between 2013 and 2019, 511 were related to hospital malnutrition. A duplicate review was used to select (n = 108) and extract key findings from articles and editorials. Key criteria for selection were population of interest (adult hospital patients, no specific diagnostic group), solution-focused, and novel perspectives. Articles were categorized (6 classified in >1 category) as Screening and Assessment (n = 17), Standard (n = 25), Advanced (n = 12) and Specialized Nutrition Care (n = 8), Transitions (n = 15), Multicomponent (n = 21), Education and Empowerment (n = 9), Economic Impact (n = 3), and Guidelines (n = 4) for summarizing. Research advances in screening implementation, standard nutrition care, transitions, and multicomponent interventions provide new strategies to consider for malnutrition prevention (iatrogenic), detection, and care. However, several areas requiring further research were identified. Specifically, larger and more rigorous studies that examine health outcomes and economic analyses are urgently needed.

High frequency of non-compliance with quality indicators during oral nutrition support in hospitalized patients

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Quality indicators are important tools in clinical practice for assessing and monitoring the quality of care in nutritional therapy. Application of these indicators can improve care and may help to decrease the high frequency of malnutrition and associated hospital costs. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to estimate the frequency of oral nutritional supplements (ONS) use and to evaluate compliance with the four available quality indicators in oral nutritional therapy (QIONT) in a university hospital.

METHODS

A prospective study was conducted from November 2017 to May 2018, using data from all patients with an ONS prescription aged 18 years or older admitted to the medical clinical or surgical clinical wards. Four indicators were investigated, as recommended by the International Life Science Institute.

RESULTS

Of the 727 hospitalized patients in the included wards, 214 were on ONS. The frequency of ONS prescription was 29.4%. Of the 4 QIONT evaluated, none achieved the goals: frequency of subjective global assessment and reassessment nutritional (48.1% and 5.6%, respectively); frequency of non-compliance for the indication of ONS (73.36%); and fasting over 24 h during ONS (50%).

CONCLUSION

A high frequency of non-compliance (100% of QIONT) was observed in hospitalized patients on ONS in medical clinical and surgical clinical wards. These results will enable health professionals in the evaluated service to elaborate protocols to improve the evaluation and recording of the nutritional follow-up of hospitalized patients on ONS. This will help to improve the quality of nutritional care.

Co-Administration of Drugs and Parenteral Nutrition: In Vitro Compatibility Studies of Loop Diuretics for Safer Clinical Practice

Parenteral nutrition (PN) admixtures are prone to interacting with drugs administered intravenously via a common catheter. This may cause a threat to a patient’s health and life. The literature that has been reported on the compatibility of loop diuretics with PN presents conflicting results. This work aimed to study the compatibility of furosemide and torsemide with PN used in clinical practice. Undiluted solutions of drugs were mixed with PN at various ratios determined by flow rates. In order to assess compatibility, visual control was followed by pH measurement, osmolality, mean emulsion droplet diameter (MDD), and zeta potential upon mixing and at 4 h of storage. No macroscopic changes that indicated lipid emulsion degradation were observed. After the addition of the drugs, the value of pH ranged from 6.37 ± 0.01 to 7.38 ± 0.01. The zeta potential was in reverse proportion to the drug concentration. The addition of the drugs did not affect the MDD. It may be suggested that the co-administration of furosemide or torsemide and PN caused no interaction. The absence of such signs of unwanted interactions allowed for the co-administration of the mentioned loop diuretics and PN at each of the studied ratios.

The effect of comprehensive assessment and multi-disciplinary management for the geriatric and frail patient: A multi-center, randomized, parallel controlled trial

BACKGROUND

A comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) of elderly patients is useful for detecting the patients vulnerabilities. Exercise and early rehabilitation, nutritional intervention, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), standardized medication guidance, and patient education can, separately, improve and even reverse the physical frailty status. However, the effect of combining a CGA and multi-disciplinary management on frailty in elderly patients remains unclear. The present study assessed the effects of a CGA and multi-disciplinary management on elderly patients with frailty in China.

METHODS

In this study, 320 in patients with frailty ≥70 years old will be randomly divided into an intervention group and a control group. The intervention group will be given routine management, a CGA and multi-disciplinary management involving rehabilitation exercise, diet adjustment, multi-drug evaluation, acupoint massage in TCM and patient education for 12 months, and the control group will be followed up with routine management for basic diseases. The primary outcomes are the Fried phenotype and short physical performance battery (SPPB). The secondary outcomes are the clinical frailty scale (CFS), non-elective hospital readmission, basic activities of daily living (BADL), 5-level European quality of life 5 dimensions index (EQ-5D), nutrition risk screening-2002 (NRS-2002), medical insurance expenses, fall events, and all-cause mortality. In addition, a cost-effectiveness study will be carried out.

DISCUSSION

This paper outlines the protocol for a randomized, single-blind, parallel multi-center clinical study. This protocol, if beneficial, will demonstrate the interaction of various intervention strategies, will help improve elderly frailty patients, and will be useful for clinicians, nurses, policymakers, public health authorities, and the general population.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Chinese Clinical Trials Register, ChiCTR1900022623. Registered on April 19, 2019, http://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=38141.