Nutritional Monitoring in the lCU: Rational and Practical Application

Follow-up after intensive care: a single center study

OBJECTIVES

To study health problems, quality of life, functional status, and memory after intensive care.

SETTING

Adult patients ( n=346) discharged from a university hospital ICU.

DESIGN AND METHODS

Prospective cohort study. Follow-up patients were found using the ICU database and the Peoples Registry. Quality of life (QOL) was measured with the Short Form 36 (SF-36) 6 months after ICU discharge. Semi-structured interviews, questionnaires, Glasgow Outcome Score (recovery), and Karnofsky Index (functional status) were used at consultations 7-8 months after ICU discharge.

RESULTS

The SF-36 response rate was 64.5%, with scores significantly lower than population scores. Consultation patients ( n=136) did not differ from the rest ( n=210) regarding age, SAPS II scores, length of stay (LOS), and reasons for ICU admission. At follow-up 67.6% of consultation patients continued most activities, 75% looked after themselves, and 64.7% were non-workers, compared to 40.4% before the ICU admission. During and after the ICU stay, 40% lost more than 10 kg body weight. Fifty-eight (43%) could not remember anything from their ICU stay. At follow-up only 22 (16%) could remember having received information during their ICU stay. Three patients needed referral to other specialties.

CONCLUSIONS

We should focus more on optimizing symptom management and giving repeated information after ICU discharge. Nutritional status and weight loss is another area of concern. More research is needed to find out how the broad range of psychosocial and physical problems following an ICU stay relates to the stay.

Nutritional support in hepatic encephalopathy

Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is a syndrome of global cerebral dysfunction resulting from underlying liver disease or portal-systemic shunting. HE can present as one of four syndromes, depending on the rapidity of onset of hepatic failure and the presence or absence of preexisting liver disease. The precise pathogenesis is unknown but likely involves impaired hepatic detoxification of ammonia as well as alterations in brain transport and metabolism of amino acids and amines. The etiology of malnutrition in hepatic failure is multifactorial. Nutritional deficits may be clinically manifest as marasmus or kwashiorkor, or both. Nutritional support in HE is directed toward reducing morbidity related to underlying malnutrition and concurrent disease. However, reaching nutritional goals is often complicated by protein and carbohydrate intolerance. The use of protein restriction in HE is controversial. Modified formulas that are supplemented in branched chain amino acids may be of value in patients who exhibit protein intolerance with standard feeding solutions or in patients who present with advanced degrees of encephalopathy.

Fluid resuscitation, nutritional support, and cholesterol in critically ill postsurgical patients

STUDY OBJECTIVE

To determine how and why cholesterol concentrations decrease after surgery, and the effect of the administration of nutritional support.

DESIGN

Prospective, observational study.

SETTING

Surgical intensive care unit of a university hospital.

PATIENTS

213 consecutive patients admitted to a surgical intensive care unit after major surgery.

INTERVENTIONS

None.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

Serum concentrations of cholesterol, serum albumin and total protein. The initial portion of this study demonstrated that serum concentrations of cholesterol, like those of serum albumin and total protein, decreased by approximately 30% immediately following surgery. These changes were directly related to changes in hematocrit and inversely correlated with the volume of perioperative intravenous (IV)fluid, the degree of positive fluid balance, and the estimated blood loss. The study's second phase examined the 19 patients who received at least 10 days of nutritional support. After 1 week of feeding, serum total protein concentrations increased significantly, but did not return to preoperative levels. Serum concentrations of cholesterol, which were markedly decreased prior to nutritional repletion, increased significantly after 9 days of treatment. The changes in serum cholesterol concentration were negatively correlated (r = -0.32) with the daily intake of IV fluid.

CONCLUSION

Serum cholesterol concentrations, like those of serum albumin and total protein, are markedly reduced immediately following major abdominal surgery, often to levels reported in malnutrition. Dilution by IV fluid and redistribution into an expanded extracellular fluid space are likely the major causes of these decreases. Serum cholesterol concentrations are therefore not useful in the nutritional assessment of patients in the immediate postoperative period.

Nutritional support of the hospitalized patient

Comprehensive care of patients in hospitals includes assessment of nutritional status and provision of appropriate support. This approach is facilitated by knowledge of the essential differences in metabolism between starved and stressed states. Nutritional assessment and care of patients in a hospital are based on answers to the following questions: Who gets it? When do they get it? How much do they get? What route is used to administer it? What kind do they get? What are common complications of enteral and parenteral support? What nutritional aspects are pertinent to common diseases?

Total parenteral nutrition in patients with intra-aortic balloon counterpulsation

The effects of total parenteral nutrition (TPN) were studied in nine of 19 patients with intra-aortic balloon pumping TPN (c. 27 kcal/kg/day) was begun 3 hours after the start of pumping. The non-protein caloric source was composed of hypertonic dextrose and fat emulsion (60% and 40%). The nitrogen intake was 1 g/150-200 kcal/day. The ten control patients received 5% dextrose in corresponding volume/hour. Hemodynamic studies were performed before and 24, 48 and 72 hours after the start of counterpulsation. The predicted and the observed resting energy expenditure were recorded in both patient groups during counter-pulsation. Systemic and pulmonary vascular resistance differed significantly between the groups. Cardiac function improved in both groups. In the TPN group the measured resting energy expenditure increased by 33% more than predicted on day 2 and by 56% on day 3 and in the controls the figures were 31% and 40%--all rises significant. Total parenteral nutrition with low fat content thus alters the hemodynamic equilibrium without clinically significant effects in patients undergoing intra-aortic balloon pumping. These patients are hypermetabolic and should receive artificial nutrition as soon as possible.