Association of nitrogen balance trajectories with clinical outcomes in critically ill COVID-19 patients: A retrospective cohort study

Clinical practice guidelines for nutritional assessment and monitoring of adult ICU patients in China

The Chinese Society of Critical Care Medicine (CSCCM) has developed clinical practice guidelines for nutrition assessment and monitoring for patients in adult intensive care units (ICUs) in China. This guideline focuses on nutrition evaluation and metabolic monitoring to achieve optimal and personalized nutrition therapy for critically ill patients. This guideline was developed by experts in critical care medicine and evidence-based medicine methodology and was developed after a thorough review of the system and a summary of relevant trials or studies published from 2000 to July 2023. A total of 18 recommendations were formed and consensus was reached through discussions and reviews by expert groups in critical care medicine, parenteral and enteral nutrition, and surgery. The recommendations are based on currently available evidence and cover several key fields, including screening and assessment, evaluation and assessment of enteral feeding intolerance, metabolic and nutritional measurement and monitoring during nutrition therapy, and organ function evaluation related to nutrition supply. Each question was analyzed according to the Population, Intervention, Comparison, and Outcome (PICO) principle. In addition, interpretations were provided for four questions that did not reach a consensus but may have potential clinical and research value. The plan is to update this nutrition assessment and monitoring guideline using the international guideline update method within 3-5 years.

High protein intake and nitrogen balance in patients receiving venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation: A descriptive cohort study

BACKGROUND

This retrospective cohort study sought to describe the ability of high protein regimens to achieve nitrogen equilibrium in patients receiving venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VV ECMO).

METHODS

Patients aged ≥18 years with a documented nitrogen balance study (NB) on VV ECMO between February 2018 and December 2021 were included. Studies with incomplete 24-h urine collections or changes in blood urea nitrogen ≥10 mg/dl were excluded. Data were summarized, correlation between first NB and potentially contributing variables was assessed with Kendall tau. Subanalysis described findings after stratifying for weight class (obese vs nonobese) and duration of VV ECMO at the time of NB.

RESULTS

A total of 68 NBs in 30 patients were included; 47% of the cohort had obesity. The number of NBs per patient was 2.2 ± 1.1, which were completed on a median of 31.5 (interquartile range: 16, 53.8) days receiving ECMO. Nitrogen equilibrium or positive balance was achieved in 72% of studies despite elevated nitrogen excretion. Patients received 87.9 ± 16.8% of prescribed protein on NB days for average intakes of 2.4 ± 0.4 g/kg of actual weight per day and 2.4 ± 0.5 g/kg of ideal weight per day in patients without and with obesity. Median NB in patients without obesity was -1.46 (-8.96, 2.98) g/day and -0.21 (-10.58, 4.04) g/day in patients with obesity. A difference in median NB after stratification for timing was observed (P = 0.029).

CONCLUSION

Nitrogen equilibrium can be achieved with high protein intake in adults receiving VV ECMO. NB monitoring is one tool to individualize protein prescriptions throughout the course of VV ECMO.