[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): severe acute pancreatitis]

Results of the modification of an acute pancreatitis management protocol in Intensive Care medicine

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether the implementation of a protocol for the management of patients with acute pancreatitis (AP) in an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) improves the clinical outcomes.

DESIGN

A retrospective, before-after observational case series study was carried out.

STUDY PERIOD

1 January 2001 to 31 December 2016, divided in 2 periods (pre-protocol 2001-2007, post-protocol 2008-2016).

SCOPE

An ICU with 48 beds and a recruitment population of 700,000 inhabitants.

PARTICIPANTS

AP patients admitted to the ICU, with no exclusion criteria.

INTERVENTIONS

The recommendations proposed in the 7th Consensus Conference of the SEMICYUC on AP (5 September 2007) were applied in the second period.

MAIN VARIABLES OF INTEREST

Patient age, sex, APACHE II, SOFA, study period, pre-ICU hospital stay, nutrition, surgery, antibiotic prophylaxis, hospital mortality, ICU length of stay, hospital length of stay, determinant-based classification.

RESULTS

The study comprised 286 patients (94 in the pre-protocol period, 192 in the post-protocol period), with a global in-hospital mortality rate of 23.1% (n=66). Application of the protocol decreased the pre-ICU hospital stay and the use of antibiotic prophylaxis, and increased the use of enteral nutrition. Hospital mortality decreased in the second period (35.1 vs. 17.18%; P=.001), with no significant changes in ICU and hospital stays. In the multivariate logistic regression analysis, the variable period of treatment remained as a variable of statistical significance in terms of hospital mortality (OR 0.34 for the period 2008-2016, 95% CI 0.15-0.74).

CONCLUSIONS

The implementation of a protocol could result in decreased mortality among AP patients admitted to the ICU.

Effect of enteral nutrition on immune function in patients with severe acute pancreatitis

Severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) is a common acute critical illness with high mortality. The occurrence, progression and prognosis of SAP are closely related to the imbalance of the immune system which is aggressive in early stage and immunosuppressive in lately stage. Enteral nutrition not only can provide the necessary nutrients for metabolism, but also regulate the immune function including intestinal immunity, systemic immunity, humoral immunity and cellular immunity. Enteral nutrition has become an important part of comprehensive treatments for SAP. This article reviews the latest research data on enteral nutrition and its impact on various immune functions in SAP patients.

Effect of early enteral nutrition with Bifico on levels of inflammatory mediators in plasma of patients with severe acute pancreatitis

AIM: To explore the effect of early enteral nutrition combined with probiotic treatment (Bifico) on the levels of inflammatory mediators in plasma of patients with severe acute pancreatitis (SAP).

METHODS: Eighty patients diagnosed with SAP between January 2006 and October 2013 at our hospital were included. They were given parenteral nutrition (PN group), enteral nutrition (EN group) or EN and probiotics (P + EN group). Plasma levels of interleukin-8 (IL-8), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), C-reactive protein (CRP) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), white blood cell count, serum amylase, and plasma lipase were measured 1 d before and 7 d and 14 d after treatment. Hospitalization time and gastrointestinal function score were also recorded and compared.

RESULTS: After treatment, white blood cell count, serum amylase, plasma lipase and IL-8, CRP and LDH, and gastrointestinal function score were decreased in all the three groups (P < 0.05), while TNF-α in the PN group had no significant change between before and after treatment (F = 0.793, 0.745; P = 0.854, 0.772). White blood cell count, amylase and lipase levels after treatment in the P + EN group were significantly lower than those in the PN group and EN group (4.9 × 10⁹/L ± 2.4 × 10⁹/L vs 9.6 × 10⁹/L ± 3.0 × 10⁹/L vs 5.3 × 10⁹/L ± 2.7 × 10⁹/L; 197 U/L ± 50 U/L vs 297 U/L ± 77 U/L vs 253 U/L ± 63 U/L; 297 U/L ± 72 U/L vs 724 U/L ± 103 U/L vs 323 U/L ± 74 U/L; F = 5.346, 5.753; P = 0.023, 6.556, 0.022, 0.029). IL-8 and TNF-α levels were also significantly lower than those in the PN group and EN group (27.0 pg/mL ± 7.9 pg/mL vs 47.6 pg/mL ± 8.4 pg/mL vs 31.0 pg/mL ± 8.0 pg/mL; 43.5 pg/mL ± 22.7 pg/mL vs 132.5 pg/mL ± 32.6 pg/mL vs 67.5 pg/mL ± 21.4 pg/mL; F = 8.375, 7.278; P = 0.017, 0.012). Plasma CRP and LDH levels were significantly lower in the P + EN group after treatment than in the PN group and EN group (39.4 mg/L ± 19.7 mg/L vs 102.5 mg/L ± 41.9 mg/L vs 68.3 mg/L ± 32.9 mg/L; 20.3 U/L ± 12.3 U/L vs 79.3 U/L ± 34.4 U/L vs 35.3 U/L ± 10.4 U/L; F = 8.353, 10.354; P = 0.032, 0.013). Gastrointestinal function scores in the PN group, EN group and P + EN group on 14 d were significantly decreased, and the decrease was more significant in the P + EN group than in the PN group and EN group (0.25 ± 0.02 vs 0.71 ± 0.08 vs 0.40 ± 0.04; F = 12.456; P = 0.000). The mortality and incidence of complications were significantly lower and duration of hospitalization was significantly shorter in the combination group than in the EN group (χ² = 4.428, 28.986; P = 0.019, 0.000).

CONCLUSION: Early application of EN combined with Bifico can reduce the levels of enzymes and mediators of inflammation, pancreatic secretion, complications, hospitalization time, and mortality in SAP patients.

Study on acute recent stage pancreatitis

Acute pancreatitis (AP) is an inflammatory disease of the pancreas which involves the pancreas and surrounding tissue, and systemic inflammation with a characteristic systemic increase of vascular permeability and increased risk of multiple organ dysfunction. Currently, the pathogenesis of AP is fuzzy, and the diagnosis and treatment need to be standardized. Nevertheless, increased knowledge of AP may achieve more thorough understanding of the pathogenesis. The use of further advanced diagnostic tools and superior treatment, potentially will help clinicians to manage AP at an appropriate stage. However, in view of the multi factorial disease and the complex clinical manifestations, the management of patients with AP is also remaining areas for improvement.

SEMICYUC 2012. Recommendations for intensive care management of acute pancreatitis

OBJECTIVE

Significant changes in the management of acute pancreatitis have taken place since the 2004 Pamplona Consensus Conference. The objective of this conference has been the revision and updating of the Conference recommendations, in order to unify the integral management of potentially severe acute pancreatitis in an ICU.

PARTICIPANTS

Spanish and international intensive medicine physicians, radiologists, surgeons, gastroenterologists, emergency care physicians and other physicians involved in the treatment of acute pancreatitis. LEVELS OF EVIDENCE AND GRADES OF RECOMMENDATION: The GRADE method has been used for drawing them up. DRAWING UP THE RECOMMENDATIONS: The selection of the committee members was performed by means of a public announcement. The bibliography has been revised from 2004 to the present day and 16 blocks of questions on acute pancreatitis in a ICU have been drawn up. Firstly, all the questions according to groups have been drawn up in order to prepare one document. This document has been debated and agreed upon by computer at the SEMICYUC Congress and lastly at the Consensus Conference which was held with the sole objective of drawing up these recommendations.

CONCLUSIONS

Eighty two recommendations for acute pancreatitis management in an ICU have been presented. Of these 84 recommendations, we would emphasize the new determinants-based classification of acute pancreatitis severity, new surgical techniques and nutritional recommendations. Note. This summary only lists the 84 recommendations of the 16 questions blocks except blocks greater relevance and impact of its novelty or because they modify the current management.

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.