Nutritional Screening According to the ESPEN Guidelines 2002

[Development of an advanced practice nurse (APN) role for nutrition management: A needs assessment using a mixed methods approach]

Development of an advanced practice nurse (APN) role for nutrition management: A needs assessment using a mixed methods approach Abstract. Background: Nurses are attributed to play a key role in nutrition management. This field has emerged to be a subject of advanced nursing practice. Aim: Conducting a needs assessment on the role profile of an advanced practice nurse (APN) in nutrition management according to the PEPPA framework. Methods: Mixed methods design. In a cross-sectional study on the current practice, the diagnostic accuracy of nurses' nutrition screening using Nutritional Risk Screening (NRS 2002) compared with independent assessment by a nutrition expert using NRS 2022 was examined. In case of a positive screening result, reasons were determined using an in-depth assessment. In addition, semi-structured, guideline-based interviews were conducted and content-analysed. Results: The identification of patients at risk by nurses' nutrition screening showed a need for improvement (sensitivity: 56%, specificity: 96%; n = 195). Commonly identified reasons for (risk of) malnutrition (n = 51) were lack of desire to eat/lack of appetite or increased caloric needs due to illness. Development opportunities and expectations for an APN were specified based on the interviews (n = 20). They refer to skill enhancement, support within the interprofessional team in complex treatment cases and a stronger nursing role in nutrition management. Conclusions: Based on the needs assessment, the APN's areas of responsibility were identified and assigned to the Hamric model, and implementation strategies could be derived.

Assessing the Effects of a Perioperative Nutritional Support and Counseling in Gastrointestinal Cancer Patients: A Retrospective Comparative Study with Historical Controls

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of perioperative nutritional therapy care in gastrointestinal (esophageal, gastric, gastroesophageal) cancer patients on nutritional status and disease progression (complications, hospitalization, mortality). We considered 62 gastrointestinal cancer patients treated at the Center for Integrated Oncology (CIO), University Hospital Bonn, Germany (August 2017-July 2019). Of these, 42 patients (as intervention group: IG) received pre- and postoperative nutritional support with counseling, while 20 patients (as historical control group CG) received only postoperative nutritional therapy. Several clinical parameters, such as Body Mass Index (BMI), nutritional risk screening (NRS), phase angle, postoperative complications, length of hospital stay, and mortality, were determined. There were significantly fewer patients with gastric cancer/CDH1 gene mutation and more with esophageal cancer in IG (p = 0.001). Significantly more patients received neoadjuvant therapy in IG (p = 0.036). No significant differences were found between the groups regarding BMI, NRS, complications, length of hospital stay, and mortality. However, the comparison of post- and preoperative parameters in IG showed a tendency to lose 1.74 kg of weight (p = 0.046), a decrease in phase angle by 0.59° (p = 0.004), and an increase in NRS of 1.34 points (p < 0.001). Contrary to prior reports, we found no significant effect of perioperative nutritional therapy care in gastrointestinal cancer patients; however, the small cohort size and infrequent standardization in nutritional status may possibly account for the variance. Considering that oncological pathways and metabolic nutritional pathways are interrelated, dividing patients into subgroups to provide a personalized nutritional approach may help in improving their treatment.

Analysis of ESPEN and GLIM algorithms reveals specific drivers for the diagnosis of malnutrition in patients with chronic gastrointestinal diseases

OBJECTIVES

Disease-related malnutrition (MN) is common in patients with liver cirrhosis (LC), short bowel syndrome (SBS), and chronic pancreatitis (CP). Different MN risk screening tools and diagnostic criteria of the European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (ESPEN) and Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) algorithms were analyzed for their diagnostic accuracy and role as specific drivers to diagnose MN in patients with LC, SBS, and CP.

METHODS

A total of 187 patients with LC, SBS, and CP, as well as control patients were prospectively recruited in a multicenter cross-sectional study. MN risk was screened using Nutritional Risk Screening 2002 (NRS-2002), the Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST), and the Royal Free Hospital Nutritional Prioritizing Tool (RFH-NPT), and diagnosed using the ESPEN, GLIM, and GLIM^CRP+ (GLIM incorporating C-reactive protein [CRP] >5 mg/L) algorithms. For each of the individual diagnostic criteria, relative frequency, sensitivity, specificity, as well as positive and negative predictive values were calculated.

RESULTS

NRS-2002 was only sensitive in conjunction with ESPEN, while MUST was sensitive additionally with the GLIM algorithm. RFH-NPT worked the best for LC. GLIM and GLIM^CRP+ diagnosed MN more frequently than the ESPEN algorithm. Diagnostic criteria were detected at remarkably different relative frequencies starting with reduced food intake/malabsorption and chronic disease/inflammation, followed by weight loss, reduced fat-free mass index, low body mass index, and body mass index <18.5 kg/m². Relative frequencies differed between LC, SBS, and CP. Weight loss in LC and CP and reduced fat-free mass index and food intake in SBS had good diagnostic accuracy, suggesting that these criteria act as specific drivers for MN.

CONCLUSIONS

RFH-NPT and MUST performed better in conjunction with the GLIM algorithm than NRS-2002. MN was diagnosed more frequently by GLIM than the ESPEN algorithm in LC, SBS, and CP. Individual criteria acted as specific drivers in MN in chronic gastrointestinal diseases.

Every fifth patient suffered a high nutritional risk—Results of a prospective patient survey in an oncological outpatient center

Introduction

Malnutrition in cancer patients often remains undetected and underestimated in clinical practice despite studies revealing prevalences from 20 to 70%. Therefore, this study aimed to identify patient groups exposed to an increased nutritional risk in a university oncological outpatient center.

Methods

Between May 2017 and January 2018 we screened oncological patients there using the malnutrition universal screening tool (MUST). Qualitative data were collected by a questionnaire to learn about patients’ individual information needs and changes in patients’ diets and stressful personal nutrition restrictions.

Results

We included 311 patients with various cancers. 20.3% (n = 63) were found to be at high risk of malnutrition, 16.4% (n = 51) at moderate risk despite a mean body mass index (BMI) of 26.5 ± 4.7 kg/m². The average age was 62.7 (± 11.8) with equal gender distribution (52% women, n = 162). In 94.8% (n = 295) unintended weight loss led to MUST scoring. Patients with gastrointestinal tumors (25%, n = 78) and patients >65 years (22%, n = 68) were at higher risk. Furthermore, there was a significant association between surgery or chemotherapy within six months before survey and a MUST score ≥2 (OR = 3.6). Taste changes, dysphagia, and appetite loss were also particular risk factors (OR = 2.3–3.2). Young, female and normal-weight patients showed most interest in nutrition in cancer. However, only 38% (n = 118) had a nutritional counseling.

Conclusion

This study confirms that using the MUST score is a valid screening procedure to identify outpatients at risk of developing malnutrition. Here one in five was at high risk, but only 1% would have been detected by BMI alone. Therefore, an ongoing screening procedure with meaningful parameters should be urgently implemented into the clinical routine of cancer outpatients as recommended in international guidelines.

Nutrition Intake and Nutrition Status of Pancreatic Cancer Patients: Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Exercise Intervention Study

Pancreatic cancer patients often present with an inadequate nutritional intake. At the same time, there are no standardized recommendations for nutrition intake during and after cancer treatment. In a prospective analysis of a randomized controlled trial analyzing the effects of a 6-month resistance training in pancreatic cancer patients, we assessed the nutritional intake and the impact of a 6-month supervised resistance training or home-based resistance training vs. usual care control on the nutritional intake of the patients. Nutritional intake was assessed by 24-h recall before and after the 6-month resistance training period. At baseline low protein intake (<1 g/kg body weight) was found in 33.9% of the 59 patients and low energy intake (<25 kcal/kg body weight) was found in 39.0% of the patients. In all, 35.6% of the patients were classified with a risk of malnutrition (NRS ≥ 3). In the total of 46 patients who finished the 6-month intervention period, there was no difference in nutritional intake over time between resistance training and usual care control. In conclusion, it appears that the majority of our study population had an adequate protein and energy intake. A resistance training seems to have no influence on the nutritional intake of the patients.

[Nutritional Risk Screening in head-and-neck cancer patients prior to oncological therapy]

OBJECTIVE

Head-and-neck cancer patients run a high risk of peri- or post-treatment malnutrition that can severely affect the therapy outcome. However, little is known about malnutrition under the pre-treatment condition. Therefore, this study aimed to provide a systematic description of the pre-treatment nutritional status and risk of malnutrition in this population.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Before the onset of the oncological therapy, nutritional status of 102 head-and-neck cancer patients was assessed by body mass index (BMI), their risk of malnutrition by "Nutritional Risk Screening" (NRS). Tumour stage and site, patients' age and sex as well as oropharyngeal dysphagia were analysed as possible influence factors. The latter was quantified by the Flexible Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES).

RESULTS

According to BMI, malnutrition (undernutrition) was found in 6% of patients, a risk of malnutrition (NRS) in 27% of patients, and oropharyngeal dysphagia in 15%. In a linear regression, only oropharyngeal dysphagia was identified as a significant influence factor for the risk of malnutrition (β = 0.380/3.776; p < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

Pre-treatment risk of malnutrition was found in a quarter of head-and-neck cancer patients. For the early identification of this risk and for the introduction of measures that would help to avoid it, a pre-treatment examination of swallowing functions and a systematic malnutrition screening by means of NRS are recommended.

[Malnutrition in geriatric patients: risk factor residential nursing home?]

Hintergrund

Mangelernährung ist ein nach wie vor herausforderndes Problem in der Krankenhausversorgung, speziell bei geriatrischen Patient*innen. Dennoch findet das Thema in der Praxis nur wenig Beachtung.

Ziel und Methodik

Im Zentrum der vorliegenden Datenanalyse steht die Fragestellung, inwiefern sich der Ernährungsstatus von zuhause lebenden geriatrischen Patient*innen, von in der stationären Pflege lebenden, unterscheidet. Hierfür wurden Daten aus insgesamt 4 Erhebungen (3-mal nutritionDay plus eine zusätzliche Erhebung) zusammengefasst. Es konnten 258 Patient*innen (≥ 65 Jahre) in die Auswertung aufgenommen werden; ein Mangelernährungsrisiko wurde anhand des Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST), eine manifeste Mangelernährung anhand der ESPEN-Kriterien festgestellt.

Ergebnisse

Zu Hause leben 86,0 % (n = 222) der Patient*innen, in stationären Pflegeeinrichtungen 14,0 % (n = 36). Die in der stationären Pflege lebenden Patient*innen weisen eine ausgeprägtere Morbidität auf, sichtbar anhand der größeren Anzahl an in der Klinik verbrachten Nächten in den letzten 12 Monaten (Mdn 10,0 vs. 5; p 0,007), der höheren Anzahl der Medikamente (Mdn 9,0 vs. 7,0; p 0,002) sowie stärkeren Einschränkungen beim Gehen (Mdn 3,0 vs. 1,0; p < 0,001). Sie sind signifikant älter (Mdn 86,0 vs. 78,0 Jahre; p < 0,001) und weisen einen tendenziell höheren Anteil manifester Mangelernährung auf (35,7 %; n = 10 vs. 20,1 %; n = 40; p 0,062).

Schlussfolgerung

Sowohl zu Hause als auch in der stationären Langzeitpflege lebende geriatrische Patient*innen weisen einen erheblichen Anteil an Mangelernährung auf. Ein zuverlässig durchgeführtes Screening zu Beginn und im Verlauf des Klinikaufenthaltes ist in jedem Fall dringend erforderlich, da nur so die Betroffenen erkannt werden. Ein regelmäßiges Screening im ambulanten Bereich wie auch der stationären Langzeitpflege ist ebenso erforderlich.

[Weight loss and malnutrition risk in geriatric patients]

BACKGROUND

Malnutrition is a major challenge in routine clinical practice and is associated with increased mortality.

OBJECTIVES

In the research project Prevention and treatment of malnutrition in geriatric patients in hospital funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), routine data were analyzed. The aim was to uncover the causes of malnutrition risks acquired in hospital.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Anonymized data from nursing home residents with at least a 3-day hospital stay were analyzed. The study included a total of 2058 residents from 19 nursing homes. The malnutrition risk was assessed by the combined MUST/PEMU (Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool/Nursing Measurement of Malnutrition and its Causes) screening and malnutrition by ESPEN (European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism) criteria.

RESULTS

Of the residents 36.2% (n = 744) had an initial risk of malnutrition and 12.7% (n = 262) were already malnourished. The proportions increased to 48.6% (n = 881) and 14.3% (n = 259) at discharge, respectively. The logistic regression analysis showed a significantly increasing probability of developing a malnutrition risk during the hospital stay with the diagnoses diseases of the respiratory system (OR 2.686; CI 95 1.111-4.575), chondropathy and osteopathy (OR 1.892; CI 95 1.149-3.115) and a higher BMI (OR 0.108; CI 95 1.038-1.181), more positive weight changes 6 months before hospital (OR 1.055; CI 95 1.017-1.094) and an increasing hospital stay (OR 1.048; CI 95 1.029-1.067).

CONCLUSION

The identification of an initial malnutrition and the prevention of developing a malnutrition risk represent major challenges in clinical practise. Both are equally necessary.

Short postsurgical antibiotic therapy for spinal infections: protocol of prospective, randomized, unblinded, noninferiority trials (SASI trials)

BACKGROUND

There are several open scientific questions regarding the optimal antibiotic treatment of spinal infections (SIs) with or without an implant. The duration of postsurgical antibiotic therapy is debated.

METHODS

We will perform two unblinded randomized controlled trials (RCTs). We hypothesize that shorter durations of systemic antibiotic therapy after surgery for SI are noninferior (10% margin, 80% power, α = 5%) to existing (long) treatment durations. The RCTs allocate the participants to two arms of 2 × 59 episodes each: 3 vs. 6 weeks of targeted postsurgical systemic antibiotic therapy for implant-free SIs or 6 vs. 12 weeks for implant-related SIs. This equals a total of 236 adult SI episodes (randomization scheme 1:1) with a minimal follow-up of 12 months. All participants receive concomitant multidisciplinary surgical, re-educational, internist, and infectious disease care. We will perform three interim analyses that are evaluated, in a blinded analysis, by an independent study data monitoring committee. Besides the primary outcome of remission, we will also assess adverse events of antibiotic therapy, changes of the patient's nutritional status, the influence of immune suppression, total costs, functional scores, and the timely evolution of the (surgical) wounds. We define infection as the presence of local signs of inflammation (pus, wound discharge, calor, and rubor) together with microbiological evidence of the same pathogen(s) in at least two intraoperative samples, and we define remission as the absence of clinical, laboratory, and/or radiological evidence of (former or new) infection.

DISCUSSION

Provided that there is adequate surgical debridement, both RCTs will potentially enable prescription of less antibiotics during the therapy of SI, with potentially less adverse events and reduced overall costs.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04048304. Registered on 5 August 2019.

PROTOCOL VERSION

2, 5 July 2019.

[Impact of psychiatric disorders on the outcome of acute geriatric inpatient treatment: an exploratory investigation]

BACKGROUND

Systematic study results of geriatric inpatient treatment assessing the impact of psychiatric disorders on treatment outcome are so far missing. This exploratory study investigated the impact of dementia, depression and delirium on treatment outcome in a geriatric department, compared to those individuals without psychiatric symptoms at the beginning of treatment.

METHOD

From January to June 2018 treatment data from geriatric inpatient records were retrospectively evaluated. Functional measurements (Barthel index, timed up and go test, Tinetti test and the De Morton mobility index) were assessed at the start of geriatric treatment and at discharge. A multivariate variance analysis (MANOVA) was used to calculate the possible impact of psychiatric disorders on functional improvement during treatment and to find out if there were significant differences between the four defined groups (dementia, depression, delirium and mentally sound).

RESULTS

A total of 280 geriatric inpatients with an average age of 84 years, were included in this study and showed a noticeable prevalence of psychiatric disorders: dementia 29%, depression 27%, and delirium 15%. As expected, the patients in the sample showed a high level of multimorbidity and polypharmacy. Functional improvement was present in each of the defined groups and significant differences between all groups were found. The results of MANOVA showed that none of the possible confounding variables, e.g. age, mini mental status examination (MMSE), degree of care, cognitive impairment, social status, gender and comorbid illness, had an important influence on the group results.

CONCLUSION

This study of an acute geriatric department demonstrated that psychiatric disorders in these multimorbid, aged patients did not prevent functional improvement by treatment, showed significant differences during the course of treatment and outcome and compared to inpatients without psychiatric symptoms.

[Laparoscopic proctocolectomy technique : Restorative proctocolectomy with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis in ulcerative colitis. Video article]

Laparoscopic restorative proctocolectomy with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) constitutes a curative treatment option for therapy-refractory ulcerative colitis. A two-stage procedure with loop ileostomy at the time of IPAA is the most frequent variant of surgery. The aim of the procedure is the complete removal of the colon and rectum with simultaneous restoration of gastrointestinal continuity and preservation of continence functions. Long-term quality of life following laparoscopic proctocolectomy with IPAA is good and comparable with a healthy reference population. The surgical technique is demonstrated in detail with the help of a video of the operation, which is available online.

Indikation zur künstlichen Ernährung

Inadequate oral food intake and impending or manifest malnutrition are an indication for artificial nutrition. Regarding the course of the disease and quality of life this can improve the prognosis and also prolong the life span. The indication for nutritional therapy should be based on the guidelines for enteral/parenteral nutrition, however, the individual life situation of the patient should also be considered and the patient's volition should be respected. Prerequisites for any nutritional concept are careful evaluation of the nutritional status and specification of the nutritional concept adapted to any disease-specific changes in digestive capacity and metabolism. Enteral nutrition, if possible as volitional nutritional support, should be preferred to parenteral nutrition.

[Enteral nutrition]

Enteral nutrition is an integrated part of the therapy in several diseases and clinical conditions. It is used to improve the clinical course and prognosis of patients with inadequate oral nutritional intake or with malnutrition. In addition, enteral nutrition may act in modulating the metabolic state of patients. Enteral diets are industrially made and have a defined composition and consistency. Enteral nutrition is provided as an oral supplement, via nasogastric/nasointestinal tubes or via gastro- or enterostomy, and requires a well functioning intestinal tract. Enteral nutrition is frequently used supplementary to oral or parenteral nutrition. In most patients standard diets can be used. Diet modifications include the energy density, the relation of carbohydrates, fat and nitrogen source and the content of specific nutrients, i. e. specific amino acids, nucleotides or fatty acids to improve the immune function. These modified diets are used for specific indications which are highlighted in this article.