Nutritional Risk Screening 2002 was associated with acute kidney injury and mortality in patients with acute coronary syndrome: Insight from the REACP study

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common complication of acute coronary syndrome (ACS), and is associated with increased risk of morbidity and mortality. We aimed to evaluate the impact of malnutrition risk at admission assessed using Nutritional Risk Screening 2002 (NRS-2002) on AKI and mortality in patients with ACS.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We enrolled 3185 ACS patients from the retrospective multi-centre study. AKI was defined as criteria of the 2012 Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes. Risk of malnutrition was defined as NRS-2002 score ≥3. The end points were AKI and all-cause mortality. There were 926 (29.1%) patients with risk of malnutrition and 481 (15.1%) patients complicated with AKI during hospitalisation, and 378 (12.0%) patients died during the 13.1 (8.5-20.4) months of follow-up. Patients with NRS-2002 score ≥3 had a higher incidence of AKI and all-cause mortality (P < 0.001). Multivariate logistic and Cox regression analysis showed that the adjusted odd ratios and hazard ratios of categorised NRS-2002 (<3 vs. ≥3) for AKI and mortality were 1.643 (95% confidence interval: 1.242-2.172, P < 0.001) and 2.026 (95% confidence interval: 1.491-2.753, P < 0.001), respectively. In structural equation modelling, the indirect effects of NRS-2002 on mortality via AKI were 54.1% (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

The risk of malnutrition assessed using NRS-2002 was useful in identifying high-risk patients with AKI and mortality, and patients with ACS may benefit from further nutritional intervention and prevention of AKI.

REGISTRATION NUMBER

ChiCTR1900024657.

Evaluation of a novel non-surgical post-pyloric feeding technique in dogs with severe acute kidney injury

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the placement and the performance of a new post-pyloric feeding (PPF) system, and compare it to esophageal (E) feeding in dogs with severe acute kidney injury (AKI).

DESIGN

Prospective study.

SETTING

University teaching hospital.

ANIMALS

Twenty client-owned dogs with severe AKI treated with hemodialysis.

INTERVENTIONS

Dogs were randomly assigned to 2 feeding techniques, PPF or E feeding; for PPF, an 8-Fr jejunal (J) tube was introduced through a standard 18-Fr E-tube and advanced endoscopically through the pylorus. A commercial liquid diet was administered at a continuous rate for at least 5 days. After the removal of the internal J-tube, feeding was continued through the E-tube. Control dogs were fed blended food 5 times daily through an E-tube. Placement technique, nutritional efficiency, and metabolic response to nutritional support were compared between the groups.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

Feeding tubes were placed a medium of 1 day (interquartile range, 0.8 d) after presentation. Median procedure-time in the group PPF was 26.5 min (11.5 min), including 8.5 min (2.7 min) for the E-tube and 17.5 min (5.0 min) for the J-tube. J-tubes were used for 5 days (1.5 d) with oral displacement observed in 3/10 dogs. The goal to administer 130% resting energy requirement within 3 days was reached in 13/20 dogs (8/10 PPF, 5/10 E). Despite nutritional support, dogs lost 1.2% body weight per day (1.1%), with no difference between the groups. The metabolic improvement was comparable between the groups, despite marked differences in the diet composition.

CONCLUSIONS

This new feeding technique can be recommended as an efficient method for early nutritional support in dogs with severe AKI. The protein-energy wasting observed despite active nutritional support suggests, however, the necessity for increased feeding targets or qualitative changes in diet composition for dogs with AKI.

Enteral Nutrition in the Mechanically Ventilated Patient

Mechanically ventilated patients are unable to take food orally and therefore are dependent on enteral nutrition for provision of both energy and protein requirements. Enteral nutrition is supportive therapy and may impact patient outcomes in the intensive care unit. Early enteral nutrition has been shown to decrease complications and hospital length of stay and improve the prognosis at discharge. Nutrition support is unique for patients on mechanical ventilation and, as recently published literature shows, should be tailored to the individuals' underlying pathology. This review will discuss the most current literature and recommendations for enteral nutrition in patients receiving mechanical ventilation.

Metabolic Support of the Patient on Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy

Continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) is the modality of choice in critically ill patients with hemodynamic instability requiring renal replacement therapy. The goal of this review is to discuss an overview of CRRT types, components, and important considerations for nutrition support provision. Evidence basis for guidelines and our recommendations are reviewed. Nutrition support-related implications include the possibility of calorie gain with citrate-based anticoagulation, calorie loss with glucose-free replacement fluids and dialysate, and significant amino acid losses in effluent. We challenge nutrition support clinicians to develop a keen understanding of the specific CRRT modalities that are employed in their intensive care units and to be able to determine how the CRRT prescription may impact a patient's nutrition support prescription.

Resting energy expenditure in critically ill patients: Evaluation methods and clinical applications

Patients on intensive care present systemic, metabolic, and hormonal alterations that may adversely affect their nutritional condition and lead to fast and important depletion of lean mass and malnutrition. Several factors and medical conditions can influence the energy expenditure (EE) of critically ill patients, such as age, gender, surgery, serious infections, medications, ventilation modality, and organ dysfunction. Clinical conditions that can present with EE change include acute kidney injury, a complex disorder commonly seen in critically ill patients with manifestations that can range from minimum elevations in serum creatinine to renal failure requiring dialysis. The nutritional needs of this population are therefore complex, and determining the resting energy expenditure is essential to adjust the nutritional supply and to plan a proper diet, ensuring that energy requirements are met and avoiding complications associated with overfeeding and underfeeding. Several evaluation methods of EE in this population have been described, but all of them have limitations. Such methods include direct calorimetry, doubly labeled water, indirect calorimetry (IC), various predictive equations, and, more recently, the rule of thumb (kcal/kg of body weight). Currently, IC is considered the gold standard.

The Need to Feed: Balancing Protein Need in a Critically Ill Patient With Fournier's Gangrene

Necrotizing soft tissue injury (NSTI) is rare with an impressively difficult and dangerous clinical course. While the importance of nutrition as part of the treatment plan for NSTI is recognized as essential to recovery, specific recommendations have not been elucidated. A review of the evidence-based guidelines and published research to accomplish wound healing is presented. The nutrition considerations in the setting of organ failure are also discussed. This article outlines a complicated case of a septic, malnourished man with Fournier's gangrene and acute kidney injury. Protein loss from exudate extracted from a negative-pressure vacuum helped estimate the amount of protein needed to accomplish wound healing and guide clinical care. Development of acute kidney injury resulted in protein restriction at the request of the consulting renal service. This restriction led to insufficient protein intake to meet needs required for wound healing as evidenced by a nitrogen balance study and analysis of wound exudate. The estimated daily protein losses through the wound were within 11-26 g protein (2-4 g nitrogen) per day. Inclusion of wound exudate nitrogen loss in nitrogen balance analyses helped resolve conflicting treatment approaches. Estimating protein loss from wound exudate allows for individualization of protein requirements.

Successful delivery of RRT in Ebola virus disease

AKI has been observed in cases of Ebola virus disease. We describe the protocol for the first known successful delivery of RRT with subsequent renal recovery in a patient with Ebola virus disease treated at Emory University Hospital, in Atlanta, Georgia. Providing RRT in Ebola virus disease is complex and requires meticulous attention to safety for the patient, healthcare workers, and the community. We specifically describe measures to decrease the risk of transmission of Ebola virus disease and report pilot data demonstrating no detectable Ebola virus genetic material in the spent RRT effluent waste. This article also proposes clinical practice guidelines for acute RRT in Ebola virus disease.

Calorie intake and patient outcomes in severe acute kidney injury: findings from The Randomized Evaluation of Normal vs. Augmented Level of Replacement Therapy (RENAL) study trial

Introduction

Current practice in the delivery of caloric intake (DCI) in patients with severe acute kidney injury (AKI) receiving renal replacement therapy (RRT) is unknown. We aimed to describe calorie administration in patients enrolled in the Randomized Evaluation of Normal vs. Augmented Level of Replacement Therapy (RENAL) study and to assess the association between DCI and clinical outcomes.

Methods

We performed a secondary analysis in 1456 patients from the RENAL trial. We measured the dose and evolution of DCI during treatment and analyzed its association with major clinical outcomes using multivariable logistic regression, Cox proportional hazards models, and time adjusted models.

Results

Overall, mean DCI during treatment in ICU was low at only 10.9 ± 9 Kcal/kg/day for non-survivors and 11 ± 9 Kcal/kg/day for survivors. Among patients with a lower DCI (below the median) 334 of 729 (45.8%) had died at 90-days after randomization compared with 316 of 727 (43.3%) patients with a higher DCI (above the median) (P = 0.34). On multivariable logistic regression analysis, mean DCI carried an odds ratio of 0.95 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.91-1.00; P = 0.06) per 100 Kcal increase for 90-day mortality. DCI was not associated with significant differences in renal replacement (RRT) free days, mechanical ventilation free days, ICU free days and hospital free days. These findings remained essentially unaltered after time adjusted analysis and Cox proportional hazards modeling.

Conclusions

In the RENAL study, mean DCI was low. Within the limits of such low caloric intake, greater DCI was not associated with improved clinical outcomes.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00221013

Special nutrition challenges: current approach to acute kidney injury

Acute kidney injury (AKI), previously known as acute renal failure, is defined as a sudden decline in glomerular filtration rate with accumulation of metabolic waste products, toxins, and drugs, as well as alteration in the intrinsic functions of the kidney. Reports of mortality are as high as 80%, with numerous contributing causes including infection, cardiorespiratory complications, and cardiovascular disease. Concurrent with the high prevalence of critical illness in this population is the protein energy wasting (PEW), seen in up to 42% of patients upon intensive care unit admission. The pathophysiologic derangements of critical illness, the low energy and protein stores, and uremic complications require early nutrition intervention to attenuate the inflammatory response and oxidative stress, improve endothelial function, stabilize blood sugar, and preserve lean body mass. This article addresses the unique challenges of nutrition support for the patient with AKI in the setting of critical illness and renal replacement therapy. Evidence-based recommendations are provided to meet the macronutrient and micronutrient requirements of this heterogeneous and complex patient population.