Nutrition challenges following total pancreatectomy with islet autotransplantation

Total pancreatectomy with islet autotransplantation (TPIAT) is a surgical treatment option for patients with chronic pancreatitis who have not responded to other therapies. TP offers pain relief whereas IAT preserves beta cell mass to reduce endocrine insufficiency. During the surgical procedure, the entire pancreas is removed. Islet cells from the pancreas are then isolated, purified, and infused into the liver via the portal vein. Successful TPIAT relieves pain for a majority of patients but is not without obstacles, specifically gastrointestinal, exocrine, and endocrine challenges. The postoperative phase can be complicated by gastrointestinal symptoms causing patients to have difficulty regaining adequate oral intake. Enteral nutrition is frequently provided as a bridge to oral diet. Patients undergoing TPIAT must be monitored for macronutrient and micronutrient deficiencies following the procedure. Exocrine insufficiency must be treated lifelong with pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy. Endocrine function must be monitored and exogenous insulin provided in the postoperative phase; however, a majority of patients undergoing TPIAT require little or no long-term insulin. Although TPIAT can be a successful option for patients with chronic pancreatitis, nutrition-related concerns must be addressed for optimal recovery.

Nutrition support management of organ transplant recipients in the acute posttransplant phase

Patients who undergo solid organ transplant can have an extensive and challenging postoperative course. The chronicity of the disease state prior to transplant in combination with transplant-specific complications and immunosuppressant medications can lead to distinct challenges that are not observed in other critically ill patients. Although the manifestation of posttransplant complications may be specific to the organ being transplanted, there are common transplant challenges that affect nutrition therapy in these patients. Effects of malnutrition, metabolic aberrations, and posttransplant organ dysfunction should be considered when developing a nutrition care plan for patients in the immediate posttransplant phase. This article addresses the various complications that can arise in the immediate posttransplant phase among patients undergoing solid organ transplant and the appropriate nutrition interventions or considerations for this specialized patient population.

Bioimpedance Spectroscopy in Heart Transplantation: Posttransplant Changes in Body Composition and Effects in Outcomes

BACKGROUND

Bioimpedance spectroscopy yields measurements of fat-free mass, fat mass, phase angle, and other measures. Bioimpedance spectroscopy has been validated as a preoperative assessment tool in cardiac surgical studies, in which low phase angle predicted morbidity and mortality. No studies have evaluated bioimpedance spectroscopy following heart transplantation.

METHODS

We evaluated body composition, nutrition status (Subjective Global Assessment, body mass index, midarm muscle circumference, and triceps skinfolds), and functional status (handgrip strength and 6-min walk test) in 60 adults. Body composition measurements via a 256-frequency bioimpedance spectroscopy device included fat and fat-free mass as well as phase angle calculated at 50 kHz. Testing was completed at baseline and 1, 3, 6, and 12 mo following heart transplantation. Mortality and hospital readmissions were analyzed.

RESULTS

Phase angle and fat mass increased while fat-free mass decreased; grip strength and 6-min walk test improved after transplantation (all P <  0.001). Improvement in phase angle in the first month postoperatively was associated with reduced risk of readmission. Low perioperative and 1-mo phase angles were associated with prolonged posttransplant length of stay (median: 13 versus 10 d, P =  0.03), increased infection-related readmissions (40% versus 5%, P =  0.001), and increased 4-y mortality (30% versus 5%, P =  0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Phase angle, grip strength, and 6-min walk test distance improved after heart transplantation. Low phase angle appears to be associated with suboptimal outcomes and may be a feasible and affordable method to predict outcomes. Further research should ascertain whether preoperative phase angle can predict outcomes.

Nutrition support teams: Institution, evolution, and innovation

The historical institution, evolution, and innovations of nutrition support teams (NSTs) over the past six decades are presented. Focused aspects of the transition to transdisciplinary and patient-centered care, NST membership, leadership, and the future of NSTs are further discussed. NSTs were instituted to address the need for the safe implementation and management of parenteral nutrition, developed in the late 1960s, which requires the expertise of individuals working collaboratively in a multidisciplinary fashion. In 1976, the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (ASPEN) was established using the multidisciplinary model. In 1983, the United States established the inpatient prospective payment system with associated diagnosis-related groupings, which altered the provision of nutrition support in hospitals with funded NSTs. The number of funded NSTs has waxed and waned since; yet hospitals and healthcare have adapted, as additional education and experience grew, primarily through ASPEN's efforts. Nutrition support was not administered in some instances by the "core of four" (physician, nurse, dietitian, pharmacist). The functions may be carried out by a member of the core of four not associated with the parent discipline, in accordance with licensure/privileging. This cross-functioning has evolved into the adaptation of the concept of transdisciplinarity, emphasizing function over form, supported and enhanced by "top-of-license" practice. In some institutions, nutrition support has been incorporated into other healthcare teams. Future innovations will assist NSTs in providing the right nutrition support for the right patient in the right way at the right time, recognizing that nutrition care is a human right.

Ethical Framework for Nutrition Support Resource Allocation During Shortages: Lessons From COVID-19

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic has impacted all aspects of our population. The “Troubling Trichotomy” of what can be done technologically, what should be done ethically, and what must be done legally is a reality during these unusual circumstances. Recent ethical considerations regarding allocation of scarce resources, such as mechanical ventilators, have been proposed. These can apply to other disciplines such as nutrition support, although decisions regarding nutrition support have a diminished potential for devastating outcomes. The principal values and goals leading to an ethical framework for a uniform, fair, and objective approach are reviewed in this article, with a focus on nutrition support. Some historical aspects of shortages in nutrition supplies and products during normal circumstances, as well as others during national crises, are outlined. The development and implementation of protocols using a scoring system seems best addressed by multidisciplinary ethics and triage committees with synergistic but disparate functions. Triage committees should alleviate the burdens of unilateral decisions by the healthcare team caring for patients. The treating team should make every attempt to have patients and the public at large update or execute/develop advance directives. Legal considerations, as the third component of the Troubling Trichotomy, are of some concern when rationing care. The likelihood that criminal or civil charges could be brought against individual healthcare professionals or institutions can be minimized, if fair protocols are uniformly applied and deliberations well documented.

Current Nutrition Practices in Adult Lung Transplantation

Nutrition therapy is vital to the overall management of lung transplant recipients. The objective of this review is to outline the current applications of pre- and posttransplant nutrition management of the adult lung transplant recipient. Pretransplant nutrition therapy decisions are based on cause of end-stage lung disease, transplant indications, and pretransplant nutritional status. Maintaining adequate nutrient stores is the major goal of nutrition therapy for patients awaiting transplantation. In the posttransplant course, several gastrointestinal (GI) complications such as gastroesophageal reflux, gastroparesis, and distal intestinal obstruction syndrome complicate nutritional recovery. Long-term nutrition therapy for lung transplant recipients is aimed at management of common comorbid conditions such as obesity, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, osteoporosis, and hyperlipidemia. Lung transplantation outcomes are steadily improving; however, much has yet to be explored to improve the nutrition management of these patients in both the pre- and posttransplantation course.

Examining the Role of Tube Feeding After Liver Transplantation

The rates of morbidity and mortality after liver transplantation are related to the degree of malnutrition. Because malnutrition is prevalent among liver transplant recipients, nutrition care practitioners must be aggressive in providing nutrition support to these patients in the perioperative period. Postoperative tube feeding (TF) has been studied for its role in improving short-term posttransplant outcomes. This paper evaluates published research that studied postoperative TF in liver transplant recipients; the methodology and outcomes are reviewed and drawbacks of these studies are considered. Case studies of liver transplant patients who received postoperative TF illustrate the variability of patient profiles and posttransplant complications that influence the provision and duration of posttransplant TF.