Refeeding Syndrome

Refeeding syndrome occurs among older adults regardless of refeeding rates: A systematic review

Refeeding syndrome is a life-threatening clinical disorder that can occur when treating malnutrition. The aim was to examine the current knowledge of refeeding syndrome in patients ≥ 65 + years with special focus on the incidence of hypophosphatemia (HP) in relation to refeeding rate (kcal/kg/day), number of days until the lowest level of phosphate occurs (day of nadir), refeeding rates and adverse events, and death. Specifically, we hypothesized that higher energy provision would cause a higher incidence of HP. A search was conducted in the available databases. Two cohort studies, 1 case control, and a total of 12 case series/case reports, which accounted for 19 individual patient cases, were eligible. The incidence of HP (<0.5 mmol/L) was 15% and 25% in the 2 cohort studies and 4% in the case control study. The mean day of nadir was between days 2 and 3 in the cohort studies, day 11 in the case control study, and day 3 in the cases series/case reports. Importantly, a rapid drop in phosphate occurred receiving both 30 kcal/kg/day and 8 to 10 kcal/kg/day. The cohort studies reported high death rates-26% and 23%-using both 10 and 20 kcal/kg/day, respectively. Adverse events were noted in most all case series/case reports. Clinicians should be aware that HP may occur in up to 25% of older hospitalized adults, and importantly, it occurs even when refeeding cautiously. Hence, electrolytes should be closely monitored, especially between days 2 and 4, which is when the day of nadir occurs most frequently.

Pathophysiology, prevention, and treatment of beriberi after gastric surgery

Beriberi is a nutritional complication of gastric surgery, caused by deficiency of vitamin B₁, or thiamine. Thiamine deficiency leads to impaired glucose metabolism, decreased delivery of oxygen by red blood cells, cardiac dysfunction, failure of neurotransmission, and neuronal death. This review describes the history and pathophysiology of beriberi as well as the relationship between beriberi and nutritional deficiencies after gastric surgery. A literature review of the history and pathophysiology of beriberi and the risk factors for thiamine deficiency, particularly after gastric resection or bariatric surgery, was performed. Recommendations for nutritional follow-up post gastric surgery are based on current national guidelines. Patients may have subclinical thiamine deficiency after upper gastrointestinal surgery, and thus beriberi may be precipitated by acute illness such as sepsis or poor dietary intake. This may occur very soon or many years after gastrectomy or bariatric surgery, even in apparently well-nourished patients. Prompt recognition and administration of supplemental thiamine can decrease morbidity and mortality in patients with beriberi. Dietary education post surgery and long-term follow-up to determine nutritional status, including vitamin and mineral assessment, is recommended for patients who undergo gastric surgery.

Nutritional Intake Influences Zinc Levels in Preterm Newborns: An Observational Study

(1) Background: Zinc is a key element for protein synthesis in preterm newborns. Early aggressive nutrition, promoting protein synthesis, may increase zinc consumption; (2) Methods: We performed a prospective observational study, to assess the relationship between early macronutrients intake and serum zinc levels, in preterm newborns with Gestational Age (GA) of 24–35 weeks, consecutively observed in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). (3) Results: We enrolled 130 newborns (GA 31.5 ± 2.8). A significant negative correlation between serum zinc level at 28 days of life and energy (r −0.587, p < 0.001) and protein intake (r −0.556, p < 0.001) in the first week of life was observed. Linear regression analysis showed that zinc levels depended on energy (β −0.650; p < 0.001) and protein (β −0.669; p < 0.001) intake given through parenteral nutrition (PN) in the first week of life; (4) Conclusions: zinc status of preterm neonates was influenced by early protein and energy intake. An additional zinc supplementation should be considered when high protein and energy intake are received by preterm newborns in the first week of life.

Refeeding Syndrome and Hypophosphatemia

Hypophosphatemia is a potentially life-threatening complication of reinstating nutrition in a malnourished patient. Refeeding syndrome is a term that refers to various metabolic abnormalities that may complicate carbohydrate administration in subnourished patient populations. Hypophosphatemia is the most well-known, and perhaps most significant, element of the refeeding syndrome and may result in sudden death, rhabdomyolysis, red cell dysfunction, and respiratory insufficiency. This review briefly examines refeeding-induced hypophosphatemia in the hospitalized patient in hopes of making clinicians more aware of this common, but often overlooked, potentially dangerous problem.

Refeeding syndrome in a small-for-dates micro-preemie receiving early parenteral nutrition

This report describes a small-for-date extremely low birth weight infant who manifested bradycardic events, respiratory failure, and hemolytic jaundice during her first week of life. These complications were attributed to severe hypophosphatemia and hypokalemia. Inadequate supply and refeeding syndrome triggered by early aggressive parenteral nutrition were responsible for electrolyte abnormalities.

Qual é a importância clínica e nutricional da síndrome de realimentação?

INTRODUÇÃO: A síndrome de realimentação caracteriza-se por alterações neurológicas, sintomas respiratórios, arritmias e falência cardíacas, poucos dias após a realimentação. Ocorre em consequência do suporte nutricional (oral, enteral ou parenteral) em pacientes severamente desnutridos. OBJETIVO: Avaliar de suas causas e a aplicação das medidas dietéticas profiláticas apropriadas visando a prevenção e diminuição da morbimortalidade desta condição. MÉTODOS: Foi realizado levantamento bibliográfico na SciELO, LILACS, Medline/Pubmed, Biblioteca Cochrane e sites governamentais nos idiomas português, inglês e espanhol. Os levantamentos foram sobre os últimos 15 anos, selecionando os descritores: síndrome de realimentação, desnutrição, hipofosfatemia, hipocalemia, hipomagnesemia. CONCLUSÃO: O acompanhamento de parâmetros metabólicos e de níveis de eletrólitos antes do início do suporte nutricional e periodicamente durante a alimentação deve ser baseado em protocolos, no estado da doença subjacente e na duração da terapia. Equipe multidisciplinar de terapia nutricional pode orientar e educar outros profissionais de saúde na prevenção, diagnóstico e tratamento dessa síndrome.

Refeeding syndrome: treatment considerations based on collective analysis of literature case reports

Refeeding syndrome (RFS) represents a group of clinical findings that occur in severely malnourished individuals undergoing nutritional support. Cardiac arrhythmias, multisystem organ dysfunction, and death are the most severe symptoms observed. As the cachectic body attempts to reverse its adaptation to the starved state in response to the nutritional load, symptoms result from fluid and electrolyte imbalances, with hypophosphatemia playing a central role. Because guidelines for feeding the malnourished patient at risk for refeeding syndrome is scarce, we have provided management recommendations based on the knowledge derived from a collection of reported English literature cases of the RFS. A MEDLINE search using keywords including "refeeding syndrome," "RFS," and "refeeding hypophosphatemia" was performed. References from initial cases were utilized for more literature on the subject. We have emphasized the continued importance of managing patients at risk for RFS, compared how management of the severely malnourished patients have evolved over time, and provided comprehensive clinical guidelines based on the sum of experience documented in the case reports for the purpose of supplementing the guidelines available. Based on our review, the most effective means of preventing or treating RFS were the following: recognizing the patients at risk; providing adequate electrolyte, vitamin, and micronutrient supplementation; careful fluid resuscitation; cautious and gradual energy restoration; and monitoring of critical laboratory indices.

Refeeding syndrome, an undiagnosed and forgotten potentially fatal condition

Refeeding syndrome (RFS) has been well described but is also a frequently forgotten and undiagnosed complication in clinical practice, which, if untreated, may lead to death. Patients who are more prone to developing RFS are those with at least one of the following conditions: BMI <16 kg/m(2), a recent unintentional weight loss >15%, very little nutritional intake for >10 days, and/or low plasma concentrations of potassium, phosphate or magnesium before feeding; and those with at least two of the following conditions: BMI <18.5 kg/m(2), a recent weight loss >10%, very little nutritional intake for >5 day, and/or a history of alcohol abuse or drug use, including insulin, chemotherapy or diuretics. We report here a patient who, after undergoing intestinal resection (short gut syndrome), presented diarrhoea, weight loss and protein-energy malnutrition. After nutritional assessment, the nutritional support team decided to feed the patient by the parenteral route. After 16 h of parenteral nutrition, the patient developed supraventricular tachycardia, hypomagnesaemia and hypocalcaemia, and RFS was diagnosed and managed. After intestinal adaptation, the patient is currently able to maintain his nutritional status with nutrition therapy by the oral route.

Refeeding syndrome in cancer patients

BACKGROUND

Refeeding syndrome (RFS) is a common, yet underappreciated, constellation of electrolyte derangements that typically occurs in acutely ill, malnourished hospitalised patients who are administered glucose solutions or other forms of intravenous or enteral nutrition.

DISCUSSION

The hallmark of RFS is hypophosphataemia, but hypokalaemia and hypomagnesaemia are also common. Patients with various types of malignancies are at-risk for RFS, but very little exists in the oncologic literature about this disorder.

CONCLUSIONS

As RFS can have many adverse metabolic, cardiovascular, haematologic and neurologic complications, practicing oncologist needs to be aware of the pathophysiology, risk factors and clinical manifestations to promptly recognise this important, and potentially fatal, metabolic disorder.

Acute liver damage and subsequent hypophosphatemia in malnourished patients: case reports and review of literature

OBJECTIVE

The relationship between liver damage and subsequent hypophosphatemia in malnourished patients will be discussed.

METHOD

The authors report two malnourished females who developed severe liver damage and subsequent hypophosphatemia. Liver damage commenced suddenly after over a week of hospitalization and deteriorated rapidly. Although the precise pathology of the liver damage could not be determined and the specific cause was not identified, steatohepatitis associated with fatty liver might be considered.

RESULTS

Hypophosphatemia following liver damage was considered to be the result of hepatocyte regeneration and replacement of phosphorus was an effective treatment.

CONCLUSION

Hypophosphatemia in these cases suggested improvement from liver damage; however, it is commonly known that hypophosphatemia has a central role in refeeding syndrome in malnourished patients. Therefore, it was concluded that attention should be paid to hypophosphatemia after liver damage.

Hypophosphataemia in old patients is associated with the refeeding syndrome and reduced survival

OBJECTIVES

Previous studies found that hypophosphataemia (HP) a common finding in hospitalised patients associated with unfavourable outcome, but they did not focus on old patients. The aim of the current study was to determine the prevalence, associated risk factors and potential clinical consequences of HP detected during hospitalisation in a geriatric medical centre.

DESIGN

Case-control study.

SETTING

A total of 312-bed geriatric division.

SUBJECTS

We compared 325 patients aged >or=65 years with at least one episode of HP-group defined by serum phosphate <or=0.77 mmol L(-1) with 326 patients without HP (non-HP group).

MEASUREMENTS

Evaluation included baseline anamnesis, demographic and laboratory data. Patients in both groups were followed up to 2.7 years and clinical outcome recorded included length of hospitalisation, in-hospital and long-term survival.

RESULTS

About 14.1% of 2307 elderly had HP. Patients in the HP-group compared with the non-HP group had significantly more weight loss, lower albumin levels, more sepsis and received threefold more glucose-containing infusions and twofold more food supplementations (P < 0.0001). HP was detected on average on the 10.9 +/- 21.5 days of hospitalisation. Patients in the HP-group compared with the non-HP group, had significantly longer hospitalisation period (P < 0.0001) and reduced long-term survival (P = 0.003) with threefold increased mortality rates. In a multivariate analysis, HP was not found to be an independent predictor of mortality.

CONCLUSIONS

The HP was common among old hospitalised patients. Clinical characteristics of the HP-group, the time-course and strong association with glucose and food supplementation, are compatible with the refeeding syndrome, described previously in malnourished patients. HP was associated with significantly reduced survival.