A prospective survey of nutritional support practices in intensive care unit patients: what is prescribed? What is delivered?

Head-of-Bed Elevation in Critically Ill Patients: A Review

Clinicians are confused by conflicting guidelines about the use of head-of-bed elevation to prevent aspiration and pressure ulcers in critically ill patients. Research-based information in support of guidelines for head-of-bed elevation to prevent either condition is limited. However, positioning of the head of the bed has been studied more extensively for the prevention of aspiration than for the prevention of pressure ulcers, especially in critically ill patients. More research on pressure ulcers has been conducted in healthy persons or residents of nursing homes than in critically ill patients. Thus, the optimal elevation for the head of the bed to balance the risks for aspiration and pressure ulcers in critically ill patients who are receiving mechanical ventilation and tube feedings is unknown. Currently available information provides some indications of how to position patients; however, randomized controlled trials where both outcomes are evaluated simultaneously at various head-of-bed positions are needed.

A simple widespread computer help improves nutrition support orders and decreases infection complications in critically ill patients

AIMS

To assess the impact of a simple computer-based decision-support system (computer help) on the quality of nutrition support orders and patients' outcome in Intensive-Care Unit (ICU).

METHODS

This quality-improvement study was carried out in a 16-bed medical-surgical ICU in a French university hospital. All consecutive patients who stayed in ICU more than 10 days with non-oral feeding for more than 5 days were retrospectively included during two 12-month periods. Prescriptions of nutrition support were collected and compared to French national guidelines as a quality-improvement process. A computer help was constructed using a simple Excel-sheet (Microsoft(TM)) to guide physicians' prescriptions according to guidelines. This computer help was displayed in computers previously used for medical orders. Physicians were informed but no systematic protocol was implemented. Patients included during the first (control group) and second period (computer help group) were compared for achievement of nutrition goals and ICU outcomes.

RESULTS

The control and computer help groups respectively included 71 and 95 patients. Patients' characteristics were not significantly different between groups. In the computer help group, prescriptions achieved significantly more often 80% of nutrition goals for calorie (45% vs. 79% p<0.001) and nitrogen intake (3% vs. 37%, p<0.001). Incidence of nosocomial infections decreased significantly between the two groups (59% vs. 41%, p = 0.03). Mortality did not significantly differ between control (21%) and computer help groups (15%, p = 0.30).

CONCLUSIONS

Use of a widespread inexpensive computer help is associated with significant improvements in nutrition support orders and decreased nosocomial infections in ICU patients. This computer-help is provided in electronic supplement.

Protein-calorie adequacy of enteral nutrition therapy in surgical patients

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the protein-calorie adequacy of enteral nutrition therapy (ENT) in surgical patients.

METHODS

A prospective study was performed in surgical patients who received ENT from March to October 2011. Patients were evaluated anthropometrically and by subjective global assessment (SGA). The amount of calories and protein prescribed and administered were recorded daily, as well as the causes of discontinuation of the diet. A 90% value was used as the adequacy reference. The difference between the prescribed and administered amount was verified by Student's t-test.

RESULTS

A sample of 32 patients, aged 55.8 ± 14.9 years, showed a malnutrition rate of 40.6% to 71.9%, depending on the assessment tool used. Gastric cancer and gastrectomy were the most common diagnosis and surgery, respectively. Of the patients, 50% were able to meet their caloric and protein needs. The adequacy of the received diet in relation to the prescribed one was 88.9 ± 12.1% and 87.9 ± 12.2% for calories and proteins, respectively, with a significant difference (p < 0.0001) of 105.9 kcal/day and 5.5 g protein/day. 59.4% of the patients had adequate caloric intake and 56.2% had adequate protein intake. Causes of diet suspension occurred in 81.3%, with fasting for procedures (84.6%) and nausea/vomiting (38.5%) being the most frequently observed causes in pre- and postoperative periods, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Inadequate caloric and protein intake was common, which can be attributed to complications and diet suspensions during ENT, which may have hampered the sample reached their nutritional needs. This may contribute to the decline in the nutritional status of surgical patients, who often have impaired nutrition, as observed in this study.

The impact of implementation of a nutrition support algorithm on nutrition care outcomes in an intensive care unit

BACKGROUND

A nutrition support algorithm is an operational version of a guideline that is adapted to local requirements and easy to apply in clinical practice. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of implementing a nutrition support algorithm on nutrition care outcomes in an intensive care unit (ICU) in Switzerland without a designated dietitian.

METHODS

The retrospective study included data collection on 2 cohorts of critically ill patients before (n = 56) and after (n = 56) implementation of a nutrition support algorithm based on the guidelines published by the Society of Critical Care Medicine and the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition guidelines.

RESULTS

There were significant differences between groups for the mean delivery of total energy in the pre- vs postimplementation group (909 ± 444 vs 1097 ± 420 kcal/d; P = .023) and mean delivery of protein per day (35 ± 17.9 vs 59.1 ± 27.3 g; P < .001). For patients staying at least 7 days in the ICU, the cumulative energy deficit decreased from -5664 ± 3613 kcal in the preimplementation group to -2972 ± 2420 kcal (P = .011) in the postimplementation group. No significant differences in the route of feeding and timing of enteral nutrition initiation were found.

CONCLUSIONS

Implementation of a nutrition support algorithm resulted in improved provision of energy and protein delivery. This may be further improved with routine nutrition assessment by a dietitian or a designated nutrition support team.

Enteral nutritional intake in adult korean intensive care patients

BACKGROUND

Nutritional support is important for maximizing clinical outcomes in critically ill patients, but enteral nutritional intake is often inadequate.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the nutritional intake of energy and protein during the first 4 days after initiation of enteral feeding and to examine the relationship between intake and interruptions of enteral feeding in Korean patients in intensive care.

METHODS

A cohort of 34 critically ill adults who had a primary medical diagnosis and received bolus enteral feeding were studied prospectively. Energy and protein requirements were determined by using the Harris-Benedict equation and the American Dietetic Association equation. Energy and protein intake prescribed and received and the reasons for and lengths of feeding interruptions were recorded for 4 consecutive days immediately after enteral feeding began.

RESULTS

Although the differences between requirements and intakes of energy and protein decreased significantly, patients did not receive required energy and protein intake during the 4 days of the study. Energy intake prescribed was consistently less than required on each of the 4 days. Enteral nutrition was withheld for a mean of 6 hours per patient for the 4 days. Prolonged feeding interruptions due to gastrointestinal intolerance (r= -0.874; P < .001) and procedures (r= -0.839; P = .005) were negatively associated with the percentage of prescribed energy received.

CONCLUSIONS

Enteral nutritional intake was insufficient in bolus-fed Korean intensive care patients because of prolonged feeding interruptions and underprescription of enteral nutrition. Feeding interruptions due to gastrointestinal intolerance and procedures were the main contributors to inadequate energy intake.

Blood glucose measurement in the intensive care unit: what is the best method?

Abnormal glucose measurements are common among intensive care unit (ICU) patients for numerous reasons and hypoglycemia is especially dangerous because these patients are often sedated and unable to relate the associated symptoms. Additionally, wide swings in blood glucose have been closely tied to increased mortality. Therefore, accurate and timely glucose measurement in this population is critical. Clinicians have several choices available to assess blood glucose values in the ICU, including central laboratory devices, blood gas analyzers, and point-of-care meters. In this review, the method of glucose measurement will be reviewed for each device, and the important characteristics, including accuracy, cost, speed of result, and sample volume, will be reviewed, specifically as these are used in the ICU environment. Following evaluation of the individual measurement devices and after considering the many features of each, recommendations are made for optimal ICU glucose determination.

Enteral nutrition in critical care

There is a consensus that nutritional support, which must be provided to patients in intensive care, influences their clinical outcome. Malnutrition is associated in critically ill patients with impaired immune function and impaired ventilator drive, leading to prolonged ventilator dependence and increased infectious morbidity and mortality. Enteral nutrition is an active therapy that attenuates the metabolic response of the organism to stress and favorably modulates the immune system. It is less expensive than parenteral nutrition and is preferred in most cases because of less severe complications and better patient outcomes, including infections, and hospital cost and length of stay. The aim of this work was to perform a review of the use of enteral nutrition in critically ill patients.

Parenteral nutrition combined with enteral nutrition for severe acute pancreatitis

Background and Aims. Nutritional support in severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) is controversial concerning the merits of enteral or parenteral nutrition in the management of patients with severe acute pancreatitis. Here, we assess the therapeutic efficacy of gradually combined treatment of parenteral nutrition (PN) with enteral nutrition (EN) for SAP. Methods. The clinical data of 130 cases of SAP were analyzed retrospectively. Of them, 59 cases were treated by general method of nutritional support (Group I) and the other 71 cases were treated by PN gradually combined with EN (Group II). Results. The APACHE II score and the level of IL-6 in Group II were significantly lower than Group I (P < 0.05). Complications, mortality, mean hospital stay, and the cost of hospitalization in Group II were 39.4 percent, 12.7 percent, 32 ± 9 days, and 30869.4 ± 12794.6 Chinese Yuan, respectively, which were significantly lower than those in Group I. The cure rate of Group II was 81.7 percent which is obviously higher than that of 59.3% in Group I (P < 0.05). Conclusions. This study indicates that the combination of PN with EN not only can improve the natural history of pancreatitis but also can reduce the incidence of complication and mortality.

Terapia nutricional enteral em politraumatizados sob ventilação mecânica e oferta energética

OBJETIVO: O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a adequação energética dos pacientes politraumatizados em suporte ventilatório internados na unidade de terapia intensiva de um hospital público de Porto Alegre (RS), por meio da comparação entre as calorias prescritas e as efetivamente administradas, assim como entre as calorias estimadas pela equação de Harris-Benedict e a prescrição energética de cada paciente. MÉTODOS: Estudo de coorte prospectivo de pacientes politraumatizados, simultaneamente sob ventilação mecânica e terapia nutricional enteral. Verificou-se o tempo de permanência sob ventilação mecânica e a oferta energética durante o período de terapia nutricional enteral. A associação entre as variáveis quantitativas foi avaliada através do teste de correlação de Spearman devido à assimetria das variáveis. RESULTADOS: Foram acompanhados 60 pacientes, na faixa etária de 18 a 78 anos, sendo 81,7% do sexo masculino. Os tempos medianos de internação hospitalar, permanência na unidade de terapia intensiva e ventilação mecânica foram de 29, 14 e 6 dias, respectivamente. A média do percentual de dieta administrada foi de 68,6% (DP=18,3%). Da amostra total, 16 (26,7%) pacientes receberam no mínimo 80% de suas necessidades diárias. Não houve associação estatisticamente significativa entre o valor energético total administrado e os tempos de ventilação mecânica (r s=0,130; p=0,321), de unidade de terapia intensiva (r s=-0,117; p=0,372) e de internação hospitalar (r s=-0,152; p=0,246). CONCLUSÃO: Os pacientes incluídos neste estudo não receberam com precisão o aporte energético prescrito, ficando expostos aos riscos da desnutrição e seus desfechos clínicos desfavoráveis.

Adequacy of early enteral nutrition in adult patients in the intensive care unit

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the adequacy of energy and protein intake of patients in a Korean intensive care unit in the first four days after initiation of enteral feeding and to investigate the factors that had impact on adequate intake.

BACKGROUND

Underfeeding is a common problem for patients hospitalised in the intensive care unit and is associated with severe negative consequences, including increased morbidity and mortality.

DESIGN

A prospective, cohort study was conducted in a medical intensive care unit of a university hospital in Korea.

METHODS

A total of 34 adult patients who had a primary medical diagnosis and who had received bolus enteral nutrition for the first four days after initiation of enteral nutrition were enrolled in this study. The data on prescription and intake of energy and protein, feeding method and feeding interruption were recorded during the first four days after enteral feeding initiation. Underfeeding was defined as the intake <90% of required energy and protein.

RESULTS

Most patients (62%) received insufficient energy, although some (29%) received adequate energy. More than half of patients (56%) had insufficient protein intake during the first four days after enteral feeding was initiated. Logistic regression analysis showed that the factors associated with underfeeding of energy were early initiation of enteral nutrition, under-prescription of energy and prolonged interruption of prescribed enteral nutrition.

CONCLUSION

Underfeeding is frequent in Korean critically ill patients owing to early initiation, under-prescription and prolonged interruption of enteral feeding.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE

  Interventions need to be developed and tested that address early initiation, under-prescription and prolonged interruption of enteral nutrition. Findings from this study are important as they form the foundation for the development of evidence-based care that is badly needed to eliminate underfeeding in this large vulnerable Korean intensive care unit population.

[Guidelines for specialized nutritional and metabolic support in the critically-ill patient. Update. Consensus of the Spanish Society of Intensive Care Medicine and Coronary Units-Spanish Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (SEMICYUC-SENPE): indications, timing and routes of nutrient delivery]

This article discusses basic features of nutritional support in critically-ill patients: general indications, the route of administration and the optimal timing for the introduction of feeding. Although these features form the bedrock of nutritional support, most of the questions related to these issues are lacking answers based on the highest grade of evidence. Moreover, prospective randomized trials that might elucidate some o f these questions would probably be incompatible with good clinical practice. Nevertheless, nutritional support in critically-ill patients unable to voluntarily meet their own nutritional requirements is currently an unquestionable part of their treatment and care and is essential to the successful management of their illness.

Bedside calculation of energy expenditure does not guarantee adequate caloric prescription in long-term mechanically ventilated critically ill patients: a quality control study

Nutrition is essential in critically ill patients, but translating caloric prescriptions into adequate caloric intake remains challenging. Caloric prescriptions (P), effective intake (I), and caloric needs (N), calculated with modified Harris-Benedict formulas, were recorded during seven consecutive days in ventilated patients. Adequacy of prescription was estimated by P/N ratio. I/P ratio assessed accuracy of translating a prescription into administered feeding. I/N ratio compared delivered calories with theoretical caloric needs. Fifty patients were prospectively studied in a mixed medicosurgical ICU in a teaching hospital. Basal and total energy expenditure were, respectively, 1361 ± 171 kcal/d and 1649 ± 233 kcal/d. P and I attained 1536 ± 602 kcal/d and 1424 ± 572 kcal/d, respectively. 24.6% prescriptions were accurate, and 24.3% calories were correctly administered. Excessive calories were prescribed in 35.4% of patients, 27.4% being overfed. Caloric needs were underestimated in 40% prescriptions, with 48.3% patients underfed. Calculating caloric requirements by a modified standard formula covered energy needs in only 25% of long-term mechanically ventilated patients, leaving many over- or underfed. Nutritional imbalance mainly resulted from incorrect prescription. Failure of “simple” calculations to direct caloric prescription in these patients suggests systematic use of more reliable methods, for example, indirect calorimetry.

Intensive medical nutrition therapy: methods to improve nutrition provision in the critical care setting

Patients requiring mechanical ventilation in an intensive care unit commonly fail to attain enteral nutrition (EN) infusion goals. We conducted a cohort study to quantify and compare the percentage of energy and protein received between standard care (n=24) and intensive medical nutrition therapy (MNT) (n=25) participants; to assess the percentage of energy and protein received varied by nutritional status, and to identify barriers to EN provision. Intensive MNT entailed providing energy at 150% of estimated needs, using only 2.0 kcal/cc enteral formula and 24-hour infusions. Estimated energy and protein needs were calculated using 30 kcal/kg and 1.2 g protein/kg actual or obesity-adjusted admission body weight. Subjective global assessment was completed to ascertain admission intensive care unit nutritional status. Descriptive statistics and survival analyses were conducted to examine time until attaining 100% of feeding targets. Patients had similar estimated energy and protein needs, and 51% were admitted with both respiratory failure and classified as normally nourished (n=25/49). Intensive MNT recipients achieved a greater percentage of daily estimated energy and protein needs than standard care recipients (1,198±493 vs 475±480 kcal, respectively, P<0.0001; and 53±25 vs 29±32 g, respectively, P=0.007) despite longer intensive care unit stays. Cox proportional hazards models showed that intensive MNT patients were 6.5 (95% confidence interval 2.1 to 29.0) and 3.6 (95% confidence interval 1.2 to 15.9) times more likely to achieve 100% of estimated energy and protein needs, respectively, controlling for confounders. Malnourished patients (n=13) received significantly less energy (P=0.003) and protein (P=0.004) compared with normally nourished (n=11) patients receiving standard care. Nutritional status did not affect feeding intakes in the intensive MNT group. Clinical management, lack of physician orders, and gastrointestinal issues involving ileus, gastrointestinal hemorrhage, and EN delivery were the most frequent clinical impediments to EN provision. It was concluded that intensive MNT could achieve higher volumes of EN infusion, regardless of nutritional status. Future studies are needed to advance this methodology and to assess its influence on outcomes.

Influence of parenteral nutrition delivery system on the development of bloodstream infections in critically ill patients: an international, multicenter, prospective, open-label, controlled study--EPICOS study

BACKGROUND

Parenteral nutrition (PN) is associated with an increased risk of developing bloodstream infections (BSIs) but the impact of the PN delivery system upon BSI rates remains unclear. This was an international, multicenter, prospective, randomized, open-label, controlled trial that investigated the differences of BSIs associated with 2 different PN systems.

METHODS

Patients were randomly allocated in a 2:1:1 ratio to receive either PN delivered by a multichamber bag (MCB group), or by compounded PN made with olive oil (COM1 group) or with MCT/LCT (COM2 group). Blood cultures were performed to evaluate the incidence of BSIs, and catheter use data was collected to calculate CLAB and central venous catheter device use ratio (CVC-DUR). Secondary outcomes included the development of severe sepsis/septic shock, number of intensive care unit (ICU) and hospital days, and all-cause mortality at Day 28.

RESULTS

406 patients were included: 202 in the MCB group, 103 in the COM1 group, and 101 in the COM2 group. Baseline characteristics were well balanced between the 3 groups, BSIs were significantly higher in patients receiving compounded PN (46 BSIs for COM1+COM2 vs 34 BSIs for MCB; p = 0.03).CLAB was higher in patients receiving compounded PN (13.2 for COM1+COM2 vs 10.3 for MCB; p < 0.0001). No differences were observed for the secondary outcomes.

CONCLUSION

Compounded PN was associated with a higher incidence of BSIs and CLABs, suggesting that the use of MCB PN may play a role in reducing the incidence of BSIs in patients who receive PN.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

NCT00798681.

Optimal amount of calories for critically ill patients: depends on how you slice the cake!

OBJECTIVE

The optimal amount of calories required by critically ill patients continues to be controversial. The objective of this study is to examine the relationship between the amount of calories administered and mortality.

DESIGN

Prospective, multi-institutional audit.

SETTING

Three hundred fifty-two intensive care units from 33 countries.

PATIENTS

A total of 7,872 mechanically ventilated, critically ill patients who remained in the intensive care unit for at least 96 hrs.

INTERVENTIONS

None.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

We evaluated the association between the amount of calories received and 60-day hospital mortality using various sample restriction and statistical adjustment techniques and demonstrate the influence of the analytic approach on the results. In the initial unadjusted analysis, we observe a significant association between increased caloric intake and increased mortality (odds ratio 1.28; 95% confidence interval 1.12-1.48 for patients receiving more than two-thirds of their caloric prescription vs. those receiving less than one-third of their prescription). Excluding days after permanent progression to oral intake attenuated the estimates of harm (unadjusted analysis: odds ratio 1.04; 95% confidence interval 0.90-1.20). Restricting the analysis to patients with at least 4 days in the intensive care unit before progression to oral intake and excluding days of observation after progression to oral intake resulted in a significant benefit to increased caloric intake (unadjusted odds ratio 0.73; 95% confidence interval 0.63-0.85). When further adjusting for both evaluable days and other important covariates, patients who received more than two-thirds of their caloric prescription are much less likely to die than those receiving less than one-third of their prescription (odds ratio 0.67; 95% confidence interval 0.56-0.79; p < .0001). When treated as a continuous variable, the overall association between the percent of the caloric prescription received and mortality is highly statistically significant with increasing calories associated with decreasing mortality (p < .0001).

CONCLUSIONS

The estimated association between the amount of calories and mortality is significantly influenced by the statistical methodology used. The most appropriate available analyses suggest that attempting to meet caloric targets may be associated with improved clinical outcomes in critically ill patients.

Compliance with nutrition support guidelines in acutely burned patients

BACKGROUND

Adequate and timely provision of nutritional support is a crucial component of care of the critically ill burn patient. The goal of this study was to assess a single center's consistency with Society of Critical Care Medicine/American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (SCCM/ASPEN) guidelines for nutritional support in critically ill patients.

METHODS

Acutely burned patients >45kg in weight admitted to a regional burn center during a two-year period and who required 5 or more days of full enteral nutritional support were eligible for inclusion in this retrospective review. Specific outcomes evaluated include time from admission to feeding tube placement and enteral feeding initiation and percent of nutritional goal received within the first week of hospital stay. Descriptive statistics were used for all analyses. IRB approval was obtained.

RESULTS

Thirty-seven patients were included in this retrospective review. Median age of patients was 44.9 years (IQR: 24.2-55.1), and median burn injury size was 30% (IQR: 19-47). Median time to feeding tube placement was 31.1h post admission (IQR: 23.6-50.2h), while median time to initiation of EN was 47.9h post admission (IQR: 32.4-59.9h). The median time required for patients to reach 60% of caloric goal was 3 days post-admission (IQR: 3-4.5).

CONCLUSION

The median time for initiation of enteral nutrition was within the SCCM/ASPEN guidelines for initial nutrition in the critically ill patient. This project identified a 16h time lag between placement of enteral access and initiation of enteral nutrition. Development of a protocol for feeding tube placement and enteral nutrition management may optimize early nutritional support in the acutely injured burn patient.

Clinical review: Optimizing enteral nutrition for critically ill patients--a simple data-driven formula

In modern critical care, the paradigm of 'therapeutic nutrition' is replacing traditional 'supportive nutrition'. Standard enteral formulas meet basic macro- and micronutrient needs; therapeutic enteral formulas meet these basic needs and also contain specific pharmaconutrients that may attenuate hyperinflammatory responses, enhance the immune responses to infection, or improve gastrointestinal tolerance. Choosing the right enteral feeding formula may positively affect a patient's outcome; targeted use of therapeutic formulas can reduce the incidence of infectious complications, shorten lengths of stay in the ICU and in the hospital, and lower risk for mortality. In this paper, we review principles of how to feed (enteral, parenteral, or both) and when to feed (early versus delayed start) patients who are critically ill. We discuss what to feed these patients in the context of specific pharmaconutrients in specialized feeding formulations, that is, arginine, glutamine, antioxidants, certain ω-3 and ω-6 fatty acids, hydrolyzed proteins, and medium-chain triglycerides. We summarize current expert guidelines for nutrition in patients with critical illness, and we present specific clinical evidence on the use of enteral formulas supplemented with anti-inflammatory or immune-modulating nutrients, and gastrointestinal tolerance-promoting nutritional formulas. Finally, we introduce an algorithm to help bedside clinicians make data-driven feeding decisions for patients with critical illness.

Factors leading to discrepancies between prescription and intake of enteral nutrition therapy in hospitalized patients

OBJECTIVE

We investigated factors leading to a reduction in enteral nutrition (EN) prescribed by a nutritional support team (NST) at a general hospital in Brazil.

METHODS

In this prospective, observational study, hospitalized adults receiving only EN therapy via tube feeding were followed for up to 21 d from July to October 2008.

RESULTS

The 152 subjects analyzed included 38 (23.5%) ward patients and 124 (76.5%) intensive care unit (ICU) patients. Eighty percent of the targeted feeding volume was achieved on day 4 by 80% of the patients. Reasons for not receiving the total amount of EN prescribed included delay in EN administration (3.1%), abdominal distention (5.6%), patient refusal of treatment (6.8%), feeding tube obstruction (8.6%), vomiting (10.5%), diarrhea (17.9%), unknown causes (17.9%), interference by a non-NST physician (25.9%), accidental feeding tube loss (34%), presence of high gastric residual (34%), and operational logistics at the hospital's Nutrition and Dietetics Service (99.4%). There was a significant association between patients who received <60% of the prescribed EN and external physician interference (P < 0.016). ICU patients also received inadequate EN (P < 0.025). Neurologic patients had a greater chance of receiving >81% of the prescribed EN amount than cardiac patients (odds ratio 3.75, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSION

Major reasons for inadequate EN intake are (in decreasing order) operational logistical problems, gastric stasis, accidental loss of enteral feeding tube, and interference by an external physician (not an NST member). Cardiologic patients and ICU patients are at a higher risk for inadequacy than neurologic patients.

Effects of malnutrition with or without eicosapentaenoic acid on proteolytic pathways in diaphragm

Attenuation of muscle wasting has been reported with eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) use in cachectic states. Pathways mediating muscle proteolysis with severe short-term nutritional deprivation (ND)±EPA were evaluated, including diaphragm fiber-specific cross-sectional areas, mRNA (real-time PCR) and protein expression (Western blot). Rats were divided into three groups: (1) free-eating controls, (2) ND and (3) ND+EPA. ND significantly influenced multiple proteolytic pathways. EPA significantly reduced mRNA abundances for most genes to control levels with ND. However, discordant muscle protein expression of many genes was noted with the use of EPA, as protein levels failed to fall. EPA had no impact on diaphragm muscle atrophy, despite the impressive mRNA and some protein results. We conclude that EPA does not attenuate diaphragm muscle atrophy with severe levels of ND. Postulated mechanisms include reduction in muscle protein synthesis and persistent ongoing stimuli for proteolysis. Our study provides unique data on proteolytic signals with ND and has important implications for future studies using EPA.

Comparing administration of nutrition support with prescribed dose

The aim of this study was to evaluate whether pediatric bone marrow transplant (BMT) patients receive the prescribed dose of nutrition support (NS). Data were obtained from electronic and paper charts at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. The amount of NS received was compared with the amount prescribed. Data were collected on 32 patients for 63 hospital stays in which NS was administered. The mean percentage of nutrition prescription met and percentage of total estimated energy met were 69% and 72%, respectively. Allogeneic BMT patients received significantly more of their nutrition prescription (92%) than autologous BMT patients did (54%, P < .01). Malnourished patients were significantly more likely to receive the full dose of NS than patients who were considered nourished or obese (P < .05). This study showed that patients who were most in need of NS were more likely to receive the full dose.

The use of prealbumin and C-reactive protein for monitoring nutrition support in adult patients receiving enteral nutrition in an urban medical center

BACKGROUND

Serum prealbumin (PAB) is commonly used to assess protein status and is often used to monitor the response to nutrition support. However, during inflammation, the liver synthesizes acute-phase proteins such as C-reactive protein (CRP) at the expense of PAB.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this retrospective study was to determine whether changes in PAB reflect the delivery of adequate nutrients or changes in inflammatory status in hospitalized adults (≥18 years) receiving enteral nutrition (n = 154).

METHODS

Protein and energy intake were compared to changes in PAB, assessed at baseline and twice weekly. C-reactive protein was assessed when PAB was <18 mg/dL to determine the presence and severity of inflammation.

RESULTS

In a sample of mostly critically ill patients, there was no significant difference in change in PAB for those receiving ≥60% of calorie needs (2.74 ± 9.50 mg/dL) compared to <60% of calorie needs (2.48 ± 9.36 mg/dL; P = .86). Changes in PAB correlated only with changes in CRP (r = -0.544, P < .001). In a subgroup analysis of 62 patients with repeated measures of PAB and CRP, PAB increased significantly only in the bottom 2 tertiles for calorie delivery and the lowest tertile for protein delivery.

CONCLUSIONS

These results indicate that PAB may not be a sensitive marker for evaluating the adequacy of nutrition support in critically ill patients with inflammation. Only change in CRP was able to significantly predict changes in PAB, suggesting that an improvement in inflammation, rather than nutrient intake, was responsible for the increases in PAB levels.

Changes in nutritional status in ICU patients receiving enteral tube feeding: a prospective descriptive study

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to assess the changes in nutritional status in Korean ICU patients receiving enteral feeding, and to understand the contribution of baseline nutritional status and energy intake to nutritional changes during the ICU stay.

METHODS

This was a prospective study of nutritional changes in 48 ICU patients receiving enteral feeding for 7 days. The Subjective Global Assessment scale was used upon admission. In addition, anthropometric measures (triceps skinfold thickness, mid-arm circumference, mid-arm muscle circumference, body mass index and percent ideal body weight) and biochemical measures (albumin, prealbumin, transferrin, haemoglobin and total lymphocyte count) were evaluated twice, upon admission and 7 days after admission.

RESULTS

Seventy-five percent of ICU patients were severely malnourished at admission. Although the nutritional status worsened in both the patients with suspected malnourishment and the patients with severe malnutrition at admission, the nutritional status worsened significantly more in the patients with severe malnutrition than in the patients with suspected malnourishment. Moreover, a number of nutritional measures significantly decreased more in underfed patients than in adequately fed patients. The most significant predicting factor for underfeeding was under-prescription.

CONCLUSION

The ICU patients in our study were severely malnourished at admission, and their nutritional status worsened during their ICU stay even though enteral nutritional support was provided. The changes in nutritional status during the ICU stay were related to the patients' baseline nutritional status and underfeeding during their ICU stay. This study highlights an urgent need to provide adequate nutritional support for ICU patients.

Creating a culture of clinical excellence in critical care nutrition: the 2008 "Best of the Best" award

OBJECTIVE

To develop, validate, and implement a system to reward top performers in critical care nutrition practice and to illuminate characteristics of top-performing intensive care units (ICUs).

DESIGN

An international, prospective, observational, cohort study conducted in May 2008.

SETTING

179 ICUs from 18 countries.

PATIENTS

2956 consecutively enrolled mechanically ventilated adult patients who stayed in the ICU for at least 72 hours.

INTERVENTIONS

To qualify for the "Best of the Best" (BOB) award, sites had to have implemented a nutrition protocol and contributed complete data on a minimum of 20 patients.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

Data on nutrition practices were collected from ICU admission to ICU discharge for a maximum of 12 days. Eligible sites were ranked based on their performance on the following 5 criteria: adequacy of provision of energy, use of enteral nutrition (EN), early initiation of EN, use of promotility drugs and small bowel feeding tubes, and adequate glycemic control. Of the 179 participating ICUs, 81 qualified for the BOB award. Overall, the average nutrition adequacy across sites was 56.2% (site range, 20.3%-90.1%). The top 10 performers were identified and publicly recognized. Regression analysis suggested that the presence of a dietitian in the ICU was associated with a high BOB award ranking, whereas being located in the United States or China, relative to other participating countries, was associated with worst performance.

CONCLUSIONS

There is variable performance with respect to critical care nutrition practices across the world.

Bridging the guideline-practice gap in critical care nutrition: a review of guideline implementation studies

Several clinical practice guidelines focusing on nutrition therapy in mechanically ventilated, critically ill patients are available to assist busy critical care practitioners in making decisions regarding feeding their patients. However, large gaps have been observed between guideline recommendations and actual practice. To be effective in optimizing nutrition practice, guideline development must be followed by systematic guideline implementation strategies. Systematic reviews of studies evaluating guideline implementation interventions outside the critical care setting found that these strategies, such as reminders, educational outreach, and audit and feedback, produce modest to moderate improvements in processes of care, with considerable variation observed both within and across studies. Unfortunately, the optimal strategies to implement guidelines in the intensive care unit are poorly understood, with scarce data available to guide our decisions on which strategies to use. The authors identified 3 cluster randomized trials evaluating the implementation of nutrition guidelines in the critical care setting. These studies demonstrated small improvements in nutrition practice, but no significant effect on patient outcomes. There are some data to suggest that tailoring guideline implementation strategies to overcome identified barriers to change might be a more effective approach than the multifaceted "one size fits all" strategy used in previous studies. Adopting this tailored approach to guideline implementation in future studies may help bridge the current guideline-practice gap and lead to significant improvements in nutrition practices and patient outcomes.

Inadequate energy delivery during early critical illness correlates with increased risk of mortality in patients who survive at least seven days: a retrospective study

BACKGROUND & AIMS

We examined associations between the first-week energy and protein intake and clinical outcomes in medical ICU (MICU) patients who survived at least seven days.

METHODS

We retrospectively studied 295 patients admitted to a 28-bed MICU between 2005 and 2007. High and low energy delivery (ED) and protein delivery (PD) were defined as having a mean daily intake relative to recommendation at ≥ 60% and <60%, respectively, during the 1st to 7th day of ICU stay.

RESULTS

The high and low ED or PD groups did not differ with regard to length of ICU stay, length of hospital stay, or ventilator free time. Patients with low ED or low PD intake were at greater risk of mortality than their high intake counterparts (OR = 3.7 and 3.6; both p < 0.001). After adjusting for confounders, we found patients receiving low ED to be at 2.43 times the risk of ICU mortality than high ED (p = 0.020). Low PD was unrelated to ICU mortality.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients receiving less than 60% of recommended energy intake during the first week of critical illness are at greater risk of mortality. There is a need for future randomized trials to investigate optimal energy delivery during critical illness.

Computer-assisted glucose regulation during rapid step-wise increases of parenteral nutrition in critically ill patients: a proof of concept study

BACKGROUND

Early delivery of calories is important in critically ill patients, and the administration of parenteral nutrition (PN) is sometimes required to achieve this goal. However, PN can induce acute hyperglycemia, which is associated with adverse outcome. We hypothesized that initiation of PN using a rapid "step-up" approach, coupled with a computerized insulin-dosing protocol, would result in a desirable caloric intake within 24 hours without causing hyperglycemia.

METHODS

In our surgical intensive care unit (ICU), glucose is regulated by a nurse-centered computerized glucose regulation program. When adequate enteral feeding was not possible, PN was initiated according to a simple step-up rule at an infusion rate of 10 mL/h (approximately 10 kcal/h) and subsequently increased by steps of 10 mL/h every 4 hours, provided glucose was <10 mmol/L, until the target caloric intake (1 kcal/kg/h) was reached. All glucose levels and insulin doses were collected during the step-up period and for 24 hours after achieving target feeding.

RESULTS

In all 23 consecutive patients requiring PN, mean intake was 1 kcal/kg/h within 24 hours. Of the 280 glucose samples during the 48-hour study period, mean ± standard deviation glucose level was 7.4 ± 1.4 mmol/L. Only 4.5% of glucose measurements during the step-up period were transiently ≥10 mmol/L. After initiating PN, the insulin requirement rose from 1.1 ± 1.5 units/h to 2.9 ± 2.5 units/h (P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

This proof of concept study shows that rapid initiation of PN using a step-up approach coupled with computerized glucose control resulted in adequate caloric intake within 24 hours while maintaining adequate glycemic control.

Identifying the factors that influence energy deficit in the adult intensive care unit: a mixed linear model analysis

BACKGROUND

Critically ill patients frequently receive inadequate nutrition support as a result of under- or overfeeding. Malnutrition in intensive care unit (ICU) patients is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. The present study aimed to identify the significant factors that influence energy deficit in the ICU.

METHODS

ICU patients with a length of stay of ≥3 days were studied for 30 days over two consecutive years at a large university teaching hospital. Fifty-six Patients were studied, with a total of 530 records of feeding days. Information was collected for: day when feed initiated, age, gender, length of stay, Acute Physiological and Chronic Health Evaluation score (APACHE II), fed within 24 h, speciality, type of ventilation, feeding route, outcome (survived/died), diarrhoea (yes/no), aspirate volume, dietitian observed nutritional status (malnourished/not), sedation, estimated energy requirements and energy received. Mixed linear models for longitudinal data were used with energy deficit (energy received - energy requirements) as the dependent variable.

RESULTS

Factors that were found to have a significant association with energy deficit were: day feeding was initiated (P<0.001), whether fed within 24 h (P<0.001) and whether sedated (P<0.001). Furthermore, three combined effects were found: ventilation mode and aspirate volume (P<0.007), fed within 24 h and ventilation mode (P<0.001), fed within 24 h and sedation (P<0.017).

CONCLUSIONS

The number of days after feeding was initiated, initiation of feeding within 24 h and sedation have been identified as factors that predict energy deficit during ICU stay. Efforts to initiate feeding as soon as possible and minimise interruptions to feeding may reduce energy deficits in these vulnerable patients.

The potential role of glucagon-like peptide-1 or its analogues in enhancing glycaemic control in critically ill adult patients

Intravenous insulin therapy is the gold standard therapy for glycaemic control in hyperglycaemic critically ill adult patients. However, hypoglycaemia remains a major concern in critically ill patients, even in some populations who are not receiving infused insulin. Furthermore, the influence of factors such as glycaemic variability and nutritional support may conceal any benefit of strict glycaemic control on morbidity and mortality in these patients. The recently revised guidelines of the American Diabetic Association/American College of Clinical Endocrinologists no longer advocate very tight glycaemic control or normalization of glucose levels in all critically ill patients. In the light of various concerns over the optimal glucose level and means to achieve such control, the use of glucagon-like peptide-1 or its analogues administered intravenously may represent an interesting therapeutic option.

A retrospective study about the influence of early nutritional support on mortality and nosocomial infection in the critical care setting

BACKGROUND & AIMS

To determine whether early nutritional support reduces mortality and the incidence of nosocomial infection, in critically ill patients in the current practice.

METHODS

A retrospective observational study was conducted in all critically ill patients who had been prescribed nutritional support, throughout one year, in an Intensive Care Unit. The time to start and the route of delivery of nutritional support were determined by the attending clinician's assessment of gastrointestinal function and hemodynamic stability. Age, gender, severity of illness, start time and route of nutritional support, prescribed and delivered daily caloric intake for the first 7 days, whether they were a medical or surgical patient, length of stay in ICU, incidence rate of nosocomial infections and ICU mortality were recorded. Patients were classified according to whether or not they received nutritional support within 48 h of their admission to ICU and Binary Logistic Regression was performed to assess the effect of early nutritional support on ICU mortality and ICU nosocomial infections after controlling for confounders.

RESULTS

Ninety-two consecutive patients were included in the study. Start time of nutritional support showed a mean of 3.1 ± 1.9 days. Patients in the early nutritional support group had a lower ICU mortality in an unadjusted analysis (20% vs. 40.4%, p = 0.033). Early nutritional support was found to be an independent predictor of mortality in the regression analysis model (OR 0,28; 95% confidence interval, 0.09 to 0,84; p = 0.023). Our study did not demonstrate any association between early nutritional support and the incidence of nosocomial infection (OR 0.77; 95%. confidence interval, 0.26 to 2,24; p = 0.63), which was related to the route of nutritional support and the caloric intake. The delayed nutritional support group showed a longer length of stay and nosocomial infections than the early group, although these differences were not statistically significant.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study shows that early nutrition support reduces ICU mortality in critically ill patients, although it does not demonstrate any influence over nosocomial infection in the current practice in intensive care.

Parenteral nutrition in critical illness: can it safely improve outcomes?

Total parenteral nutrition was developed in the 1960s and has since been implemented commonly in the intensive care unit (ICU). Studies published in the 1980s and early 1990s indicate that the use of total parenteral nutrition is associated with increased mortality and infectious morbidity. These detrimental effects were related to hyperglycemia and overnutrition at a period when parenteral nutrition was not administered according to the all-in-one principle. Because of its beneficial effects on the gastrointestinal tract, enteral nutrition alone replaced parenteral nutrition as the gold standard of nutritional care in the ICU in the 1980s. However, enteral nutrition alone is frequently associated with insufficient coverage of the energy requirements, and subsequent protein-energy deficit is correlated with a worse clinical outcome. Recent evidence suggests that all-in-one parenteral nutrition has no significant effect on mortality and infectious morbidity in patients in the ICU if a glycemic control is obtained and hyperalimentation avoided. Thus, the time has come to reconsider the use of parenteral nutrition in the ICU. Supplemental parenteral nutrition could prevent onset of nutritional deficiencies when enteral nutrition is insufficient in meeting energy requirements. Clinical studies are warranted to show that the combination of parenteral and enteral nutrition could improve the clinical outcome of patients in the ICU.

Parenteral nutrition: a clear and present danger unabated by tight glucose control

BACKGROUND

The infectious risks of parenteral nutrition (PN) in critical illness are well described, although most literature predates tight glucose control (TGC) practice. The authors hypothesized that PN-related complications are ameliorated by TGC and are equivalent to those in enteral nutrition (EN) patients.

METHODS

A prospective cohort study of patients admitted to the surgical intensive care unit was conducted, comparing PN and EN patients. TGC target was 80 to 110 mg/dL. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression was used to explore the association between infectious outcomes and PN use.

RESULTS

One hundred fifty-five patients were studied. Mean daily glucose values were lower for the PN group than for the EN patients (118.2 vs 125.6 mg/dL, P = .002). Nonetheless, the incidence of bloodstream infection and catheter-related bloodstream infection was significantly associated with the administration of PN. In a multivariate logistic regression model, PN was associated with a >4-fold increase in the odds of having a catheter-related bloodstream infection (odds ratio, 4.48; 95% confidence interval, 1.14-17.49; P = .03).

CONCLUSIONS

Despite the successful implementation of TGC, PN is still a significant risk factor for infectious complications among surgical intensive care unit patients.

Bedside adherence to clinical practice guidelines for enteral nutrition in critically ill patients receiving mechanical ventilation: a prospective, multi-centre, observational study

Introduction

The primary aim was to measure the amount of nutrients required, prescribed and actually administered in critically ill patients. Secondary aims were to assess adherence to clinical practice guidelines, and investigate factors leading to non-adherence.

Methods

Observational, multicenter, prospective study, including 203 patients in a total of 19 intensive care units in France. The prescribed calorie supply was compared with the theoretical minimal required calorie intake (25 Kcal/Kg/day) and with the supply actually delivered to the patient to calculate the ratio of calories prescribed/required and the ratio of calories delivered/prescribed. Clinical factors suspected to influence enteral nutrition were analyzed by univariate and multivariate analysis.

Results

The median ratio of prescribed/required calories per day was 43 [37-54] at day 1 and increased until day 7. From day 4 until the end of the study, the median ratio was > 80%. The median ratio of delivered/prescribed per day was > 80% for all 7 days from the start of enteral nutrition. Among the variables tested (hospital type, use of a local nutrition protocol, sedation, vasoactive drugs, number of interruptions of enteral nutrition and measurement of gastric residual volume), only measurement of residual volume was significant by univariate analysis. This was confirmed by multivariate analysis, where gastric residual volume measurement was the only variable independently associated with the ratio of delivered/prescribed calories (OR = 1.38; 95%CI, 1.12-2.10, p = .024).

Conclusions

The translation of clinical research and recommendations for enteral nutrition into routine bedside practice in critically ill patients receiving mechanical ventilation was satisfactory, but could probably be improved with a multidisciplinary approach.

Adequacy of oral intake in critically ill patients 1 week after extubation

Hospital malnutrition is associated with increased morbidity and mortality, particularly among patients admitted to intensive care units (ICUs). The purpose of this observational study (August to November 2007) was to examine the adequacy of oral intake and to identify predictors of oral intake after ICU patients were removed from invasive mechanical ventilation. Patients aged > or = 18 years who required mechanical ventilation for at least 24 hours, advanced to an oral diet postextubation, and did not require supplemental enteral or parenteral nutrition were included. The first 7 days of oral intake after extubation were assessed via modified multiple-pass 24-hour recall and the numbers of days on therapeutic diets and reasons for decreased intake were collected. Oral intake <75% of daily requirements was considered inadequate. Descriptive statistics, chi2, Student t tests, and logistic regression analyses were conducted. Of the 64 patients who met eligibility criteria, 50 were included. Of these 50 patients, 54% were women and intubated for 5.2 days, with a mean age of 59.1 years, body mass index of 28.7, and Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score of 21.9. Subjective Global Assessment determined 44% were malnourished upon admission to the ICU. The average daily energy and protein intake failed to exceed 50% of daily requirements on all 7 days for the entire population. The majority of patients who consumed <75% of daily requirements were prescribed a therapeutic diet and/or identified "no appetite" and nausea/vomiting as the barriers to eating. Although more research is needed, these data call into question the use of restrictive oral diets and suggest that alternative medical nutrition therapies are needed to optimize nutrient intake in this unique patient population.

Nutrition and clinical outcome in intensive care patients

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

In the setting of ICU, the characteristics of patients have changed during the last decade. Patients are older, frequently overweight or obese, present with more chronic diseases and undernutrition. These conditions are characterized by reduced muscle mass and vulnerable homeostasis. This review sustains the hypothesis that an early and optimal nutritional support, combining enteral and parenteral nutrition, could improve the clinical outcome of ICU patients.

RECENT FINDINGS

The combination of stress and undernutrition observed in the ICUs is associated with negative energy balance, which leads to lean body mass loss. Catabolism of lean body mass has been repeatedly associated with a worsening of the clinical outcome, increased length of hospital stay, recovery and healthcare costs. Early enteral nutrition is the recommended feeding route in ICU patients, but it is often unable to fully cover the nutritional needs. Parenteral nutrition is recommended if enteral nutrition is not feasible.

SUMMARY

It is hypothesized that supplemental parenteral nutrition, together with insufficient enteral nutrition, could optimize the nutritional therapy by preventing the onset of early energy deficiency, and thus, could allow to reduce the side-effects of undernutrition and promote better chances of recovery after the ICU stay.