Early enteral nutrition is associated with improved outcomes in critically ill mechanically ventilated medical and surgical patients

Rapid advancement of enteral nutrition and in-hospital mortality in critically ill adults: A retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

Early enteral nutrition (EN) initiation is recommended for intensive care unit (ICU) patients; however, the optimal rate of EN advancement remains unclear. We aimed to assess the association between EN advancement and in-hospital mortality, as well as length of hospital stay.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective cohort study on 341 critically ill adults receiving EN between January 2021 and December 2023. The exposure of interest was rapid EN advancement, defined as an EN change exceeding the median value calculated between the first and seventh days after EN initiation. The comparator group included patients without rapid EN advancement. Factors related to in-hospital mortality and length of hospital stay were assessed using multivariable logistic and linear regression analyses. Subgroup analyses were performed for EN initiation within 48 h of ICU admission.

RESULTS

Rapid EN advancement reduced in-hospital mortality (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 0.64, 95% CI 0.38-1.07, P = 0.092), although this was not statistically significant. However, rapid EN advancement significantly shortened hospital stay by 25 days (95% CI -25 to -9.2, P = 0.002). In the early EN initiation subgroup, rapid EN advancement significantly reduced in-hospital mortality (adjusted OR = 0.42, P = 0.039) and shortened hospital stay by 48 days (95% CI -77 to -19, P = 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Rapid EN advancement reduced in-hospital mortality and length of hospital stay in critically ill patients, especially with early EN initiation. These findings could inform clinical practices that enhance timely and adequate nutrition therapy in ICUs. Further randomized controlled trials can help establish clinical guidelines.

Comparative efficacy of peptide-based versus standard polymeric enteral nutrition in ICU patients at high nutritional risk: a multicenter randomized controlled trial

Within intensive care units (ICU), the administration of peptide-based formulas (PBF) may confer nutritional advantages for critically ill patients identified with heightened nutritional risk. This investigation aimed to ascertain the efficacy of PBF in comparison to standard polymeric formulas (SPF) among this patient cohort. A double-blind, randomized controlled trial was conducted across three ICUs, encompassing 63 adult patients characterized by elevated modified Nutrition Risk in Critically Ill (mNUTRIC) scores. Enrollment occurred promptly subsequent to ICU admission, with participants allocated to receive either PBF or SPF. Primary outcome was the duration to achieve caloric targets. Secondary outcomes involved the evaluation of mean daily gastric residual volume, mechanical ventilation period, infection rates within the ICU, length of hospitalization, mortality rates, nutritional status and inflammatory markers, specifically serum albumin and interleukin-6 levels. Patients in the PBF group reached their caloric targets more expeditiously compared to the SPF group (2.06 ± 0.43 days versus 2.39 ± 0.79 days; p = 0.03). No significant differences were discernible between the groups regarding gastric residual volume, duration of mechanical ventilation, ICU length of stay, mortality, or infection rates. Both cohorts exhibited minimal adverse effects and were devoid of any instances of abdominal distension. While not reaching statistical significance, the observed trends in albumin and interleukin-6 levels suggest a potential advantage of PBF utilization. The implementation of PBF enabled swifter attainment of caloric goals in ICU patients at high nutritional risk without adversely impacting other clinical parameters. Given its favorable tolerance profile and potential immunomodulatory properties, PBF may be considered a valuable nutritional intervention in this setting.Thai Clinical Trials Registry TCTR20220221006. Registered 21 February 2022, https://www.thaiclinicaltrials.org/show/TCTR20220221006 .

Clinical effects and safety of semi-solid feeds in tube-fed patients: a meta-analysis and systematic review

Background

Enteral nutrition is a very important form of treatment for critically ill patients. This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the clinical effects and safety of semi-solid feeds in tube-fed patients.

Methods

Two researchers searched PubMed, clinical trials, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang Data, and Weipu databases for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the clinical effects and safety of semi-solid feeds in tube-fed patients until 10 October 2023. The quality evaluation tool recommended by the Cochrane Library was used to evaluate the quality of included RCTs. RevMan 5.4 software was used for data analysis.

Results

A total of eight RCTs involving 823 tube-fed patients were included in this meta-analysis. A synthesized outcome indicated that semi-solid feeds reduced the incidence of diarrhea (RR = 0.32, 95%CI:0.20-0.50, P < 0.001), vomiting (RR = 0.31, 95%CI:0.15-0.64, P = 0.002), abdominal distension (RR = 0.41, 95%CI:0.22-0.76, P = 0.005), length of intensive care unit (ICU) stay (MD = -3.61, 95%CI: -6.74 to -0.48, P = 0.02), and length of hospital stay (MD = -7.14, 95%CI: -10.31 to -3.97, P < 0.01) in tube-fed patients. Enteric feeding had no effect on the 30-day mortality (RR = 0.55, 95%CI: 0.19-1.56, P = 0.26). No publication bias was detected by the Egger's test results (all P > 0.05).

Conclusion

Semi-solid feeds are beneficial in reducing the incidence of diarrhea, abdominal distension, vomiting, and hospital stay. More high-quality studies are needed in the future to verify the effects of semi-solid feeds on mortality.

Implementation of a multidisciplinary nutritional support team and clinical outcomes in critically ill patients with COVID-19

BACKGROUND & AIMS

The South Korean government established the multidisciplinary nutritional support teams (NST) system for enhancing the evaluation and adequate supply of nutritional support to patients at high risk of malnutrition. However, the impact of the NST on clinical outcomes in critically ill patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) remains unclear. We aimed to investigate whether NST implementation affects survival outcomes in patients with COVID-19 requiring intensive care unit (ICU) admission.

METHODS

Using data from the National Health Insurance Service and Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency in South Korea, adult patients with COVID-19 admitted to the ICU between October 8, 2020, and December 31, 2021, were included. The NST comprised four professional personnel (physicians, full-time nurses, full-time pharmacists, and full-time clinical dietitians). Patients admitted to ICUs with and without the NST system were assigned to the NST and non-NST groups, respectively.

RESULTS

A total of 13,103 critically ill adult patients were included in the final analysis; among them, 10,103 (77.1 %) and 3,000 (22.9 %) patients were included in the NST and non-NST groups, respectively. In the NST group, 2,803 (27.7 %) critically ill patients with COVID-19 were prescribed enteral or parenteral nutrition by the NST. In a covariate-adjusted multivariable model, the NST group showed a 40 % lower in-hospital mortality rate than the non-NST group (odds ratio: 0.60, 95 % confidence interval: 0.51, 0.71; P < 0.001). In subgroup analyses, compared with the non-NST group, the NST group showed significantly lower in-hospital mortality rates at 2, 3, 4, and 5 points on the World Health Organization clinical progression scale among patients with acute respiratory distress and mechanical ventilatory support.

CONCLUSIONS

NST implementation was associated with improved survival outcomes in critically ill patients with COVID-19; accordingly, it may be recommended for improving adequate nutritional support and evaluation in critically ill patients.

Lower serum cholesterol levels as a risk factor for critical illness polyneuropathy: a matched case-control study

Critical illness polyneuropathy (CIP) is a frequent and underdiagnosed phenomenon among intensive care unit patients. The lipophilic nature of neuronal synapses may result in the association of low serum cholesterol levels with a higher rate of CIP development. We aimed to investigate this issue in critically ill patients. All cases diagnosed with CIP in our tertiary care hospital between 2013 and 2017 were 1:1 matched with controls without the condition by age, sex, and ICD diagnoses. The main risk factors examined were the differences in change between initial and minimum serum total cholesterol levels, and minimum serum total cholesterol levels between matched pairs. Other predictors were serum markers of acute inflammation. We included 67 cases and 67 controls (134 critically ill patients, 49% female, 46% medical). Serum total cholesterol levels decreased more profoundly in cases than controls (median: -74 (IQR -115 to -24) vs. -39 (IQR -82 to -4), median difference: -28, 95% CI [-51, -5]), mg/dl). Minimum serum total cholesterol levels were lower in the cases (median difference: -24, 95% CI [-39, -9], mg/dl). We found significant median differences across matched pairs in maximum serum C-reactive protein (8.9, 95% CI [4.6, 13.2], mg/dl), minimum albumin (-4.2, 95% CI [-6.7, -1.7], g/l), decrease in albumin (-3.9, 95% CI [-7.6, -0.2], g/l), and lowest cholinesterase levels (-0.72, 95% CI [-1.05, -0.39], U/l). Subsequently, more pronounced decreases in serum total cholesterol levels and lower minimum total cholesterol levels during critical care unit hospitalizations may be a risk factor for CIP.