-
1.
Effects of using the MyFood decision support system on hospitalized patients' nutritional status and treatment: A randomized controlled trial.
Paulsen, MM, Paur, I, Gjestland, J, Henriksen, C, Varsi, C, Tangvik, RJ, Andersen, LF
Clinical nutrition (Edinburgh, Scotland). 2020;(12):3607-3617
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Compliance to guidelines for disease-related malnutrition is documented as poor. The practice of using paper-based dietary recording forms with manual calculation of the patient's nutritional intake is considered cumbersome, time-consuming and unfeasible among the nurses and does often not lead to appropriate nutritional treatment. We developed the digital decision support system MyFood to deliver a solution to these challenges. MyFood is comprised of an app for patients and a website for nurses and includes functions for dietary recording, evaluation of intake compared to requirements, and a report to nurses including tailored recommendations for nutritional treatment and a nutritional care plan for documentation. The study aimed to investigate the effects of using the MyFood decision support system during hospital stay on adult patients' nutritional status, treatment and hospital length of stay. The main outcome measure was weight change. METHODS The study was a parallel-arm randomized controlled trial. Patients who were allocated to the intervention group used the MyFood app during their hospital stay and the nurses were encouraged to use the MyFood system. Patients who were allocated to the control group received routine care. RESULTS We randomly assigned 100 patients (51.9 ± 14 y) to the intervention group (n = 49) and the control group (n = 51) between August 2018 and February 2019. Losses to follow-up were n = 5 in the intervention group and n = 1 in the control group. No difference was found between the two groups with regard to weight change. Malnutrition risk at discharge was present in 77% of the patients in the intervention group and 94% in the control group (p = 0.019). Nutritional treatment was documented for 81% of the patients in the intervention group and 57% in the control group (p = 0.011). A nutritional care plan was created for 70% of the intervention patients compared to 16% of the control patients (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS The intervention had no effect on weight change during hospital stay. A higher proportion of the patients in the control group was malnourished or at risk of malnutrition at hospital discharge compared to the patients in the intervention group. The documentation of nutritional intake, treatment and nutritional care plans was higher for the patients using the MyFood system compared to the control group. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov (NCT03412695).
-
2.
Nutritional Support in Head and Neck Radiotherapy Patients Considering HPV Status.
Brewczyński, A, Jabłońska, B, Mrowiec, S, Składowski, K, Rutkowski, T
Nutrients. 2020;(1)
Abstract
Malnutrition is a common problem in patients with head and neck cancer (HNC), including oropharyngeal cancer (OPC). It is caused by insufficient food intake due to dysphagia, odynophagia, and a lack of appetite caused by the tumor. It is also secondary to the oncological treatment of the basic disease, such as radiotherapy (RT) and chemoradiotherapy (CRT), as a consequence of mucositis with the dry mouth, loss of taste, and dysphagia. The severe dysphagia leads to a definitive total impossibility of eating through the mouth in 20-30% of patients. These patients usually require enteral nutritional support. Feeding tubes are a commonly used nutritional intervention during radiotherapy, most frequently percutaneous gastrostomy tube. Recently, a novel HPV-related type of OPC has been described. Patients with HPV-associated OPC are different from the HPV- ones. Typical HPV- OPC is associated with smoking and alcohol abuse. Patients with HPV+ OPC are younger and healthy (without comorbidities) at diagnosis compared to HPV- ones. Patients with OPC are at high nutritional risk, and therefore, they require nutritional support in order to improve the treatment results and quality of life. Some authors noted the high incidence of critical weight loss (CWL) in patients with HPV-related OPC. Other authors have observed the increased acute toxicities during oncological treatment in HPV+ OPC patients compared to HPV- ones. The aim of this paper is to review and discuss the indications for nutritional support and the kinds of nutrition, including immunonutrition (IN), in HNC, particularly OPC patients, undergoing RT/CRT, considering HPV status.
-
3.
Protein Requirements during Hypocaloric Nutrition for the Older Patient With Critical Illness and Obesity: An Approach to Clinical Practice.
Dickerson, RN
Nutrition in clinical practice : official publication of the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition. 2020;(4):617-626
Abstract
Current guidelines recommend a hypocaloric, high protein nutrition regimen for patients with obesity and critical illness. The impact of advancing age presents with unique challenges in which a greater protein intake is required to overcome the anabolic resistance associated with aging in the face of presumed decreased renal function. The primary objective of this review is to provide an overview of the impact of obesity and advancing age on protein requirements for patients with critical illness and review the scientific evidence supporting the rationale for hypocaloric, high protein nutrition for this subpopulation, as well as provide some practical suggestions for their clinical management.
-
4.
Safety, feasibility, and effect of an enhanced nutritional support pathway including extended preoperative and home enteral nutrition in patients undergoing enhanced recovery after esophagectomy: a pilot randomized clinical trial.
Liu, K, Ji, S, Xu, Y, Diao, Q, Shao, C, Luo, J, Zhu, Y, Jiang, Z, Diao, Y, Cong, Z, et al
Diseases of the esophagus : official journal of the International Society for Diseases of the Esophagus. 2020;(2)
Abstract
The aims of this pilot study are to evaluate the feasibility, safety, and effectiveness of conducting an enhanced nutritional support pathway including extended preoperative nutritional support and one month home enteral nutrition (HEN) for patients who underwent enhanced recovery after esophagectomy. We implemented extended preoperative nutritional support and one month HEN after discharge for patients randomized into an enhanced nutrition group and implemented standard nutritional support for patients randomized into a conventional nutrition group. Except the nutritional support program, both group patients underwent the same standardized enhanced recovery after surgery programs of esophagectomy based on published guidelines. Patients were assessed at preoperative day, postoperative day 7 (POD7), and POD30 for perioperative outcomes and nutritional status. To facilitate the determination of an effect size for subsequent appropriately powered randomized clinical trials and assess the effectiveness, the primary outcome we chose was the weight change before and after esophagectomy. Other outcomes including body mass index (BMI), lean body mass (LBM), appendicular skeletal muscle mass index (ASMI), nutrition-related complications, and quality of life (QoL) were also analyzed. The intention-to-treat analysis of the 50 randomized patients showed that there was no significant difference in baseline characteristics. The weight (-2.03 ± 2.28 kg vs. -4.05 ± 3.13 kg, P = 0.012), BMI (-0.73 ± 0.79 kg/m2 vs. -1.48 ± 1.11 kg/m2, P = 0.008), and ASMI (-1.10 ± 0.37 kg/m2 vs. -1.60 ± 0.66 kg/m2, P = 0.010) loss of patients in the enhanced nutrition group were obviously decreased compared to the conventional nutrition group at POD30. In particular, LBM (48.90 ± 9.69 kg vs. 41.96 ± 9.37 kg, p = 0.031) and ASMI (7.56 ± 1.07 kg/m2 vs. 6.50 ± 0.97 kg/m2, P = 0.003) in the enhanced nutrition group were significantly higher compared to the conventional nutrition group at POD30, despite no significant change between pre- and postoperation. In addition, European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 30 scores revealed that enhanced nutritional support improved the QoL of patients in physical function (75.13 ± 9.72 vs. 68.33 ± 7.68, P = 0.009) and fatigue symptom (42.27 ± 9.93 vs. 49.07 ± 11.33, P = 0.028) compared to conventional nutritional support. This pilot study demonstrated that an enhanced nutritional support pathway including extended preoperative nutritional support and HEN was feasible, safe, and might be beneficial to patients who underwent enhanced recovery after esophagectomy. An appropriately powered trial is warranted to confirm the efficacy of this approach.
-
5.
Nutrition Management in Patients With Chronic Gastrointestinal Motility Disorders: A Systematic Literature Review.
Lehmann, S, Ferrie, S, Carey, S
Nutrition in clinical practice : official publication of the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition. 2020;(2):219-230
Abstract
BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to systematically review effects of nutrition interventions on outcomes in patients with chronic gastrointestinal (GI) motility disorders. There is currently a lack of evidence-based guidelines for nutrition management in this group, likely a result of the rarity of the conditions. METHODS A systematic review of all study types to evaluate current evidence-based nutrition interventions was performed using Medline, Embase, and CINAHL databases. Two independent reviewers participated in the process of this systematic review. A total of 15 studies and a total of 524 subjects were included. RESULTS Best treatment of this population group was found to include a stepwise process, progressing from oral nutrition to jejunal nutrition and lastly to parenteral nutrition. Small particle, low-fat diets were significantly better tolerated than the converse, with jejunal nutrition prior to consuming oral food significantly improving oral intake and motility. In more progressive cases, percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy with jejunal extension nutrition had lower reported symptoms than other enteral routes. Exclusive long-term parenteral nutrition is a feasible option for advanced cases, with a 68% survival rate at 15 years duration, though oral intake with parenteral nutrition is associated with higher survival rates. CONCLUSION Treatment of patients with GI motility disorders should first trial oral nutrition. For patients who progress to jejunal or parenteral feeds, the primary aim should be to maintain or reinstate oral intake to reduce morbidity and mortality risk. Higher-quality studies are still required in this area, particularly in the areas of chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction and systemic sclerosis.
-
6.
The significant role of amino acids during pregnancy: nutritional support.
Manta-Vogli, PD, Schulpis, KH, Dotsikas, Y, Loukas, YL
The journal of maternal-fetal & neonatal medicine : the official journal of the European Association of Perinatal Medicine, the Federation of Asia and Oceania Perinatal Societies, the International Society of Perinatal Obstetricians. 2020;(2):334-340
Abstract
Background: Pregnancy is characterized by a complexity of metabolic processes that may impact fetal development and infant health outcome. Normal fetal growth and development depend on a continuous supply of nutrients via the placenta. The placenta transports, utilizes, produces, and interconverts amino acids (AAs).Findings: Concentrations of both nonessential and essential AAs in maternal plasma decrease in early pregnancy and persist at low concentrations throughout. The decline is greatest for the glucogenic AAs and AAs of the urea cycle. Additionally, there is a large placental utilization of the branched-chain AAs, some of which are transaminated to alpha ketoacids and contribute to placental ammonia production. Both nonessential and essential AAs regulate key metabolic pathways to improve health, survival, growth, development, lactation, and reproduction of organisms. Some of the nonessential AAs (e.g. glutamine, glutamate, and arginine) play also important roles in regulating gene expression, cell signaling, antioxidant responses, immunity, and neurological function.Conclusions: Nutritional support during pregnancy is of great interest focusing not only to common pregnancies but also to those with low socioeconomic status, vegan-vegetarian groups, and pregnant women with metabolic disorders, the most known maternal phenylketonuria. The latter is of great interest because phenylalanine must be within the recommended range throughout pregnancy in addition to other nutrients such as vitamin B12, folate, etc. Loss of the adherence to this specific diet results in congenital malformations of the fetus. In addition to the routine laboratory test, quantitation of plasma AAs may be necessary throughout pregnancy.
-
7.
Nutrition and gastroenterological support in end of life care.
Schütte, K, Middelberg-Bisping, K, Schulz, C
Best practice & research. Clinical gastroenterology. 2020;:101692
Abstract
Malnutrition and the broad spectrum of cancer cachexia frequently occur in patients with malignant disease of all tumour stages and impact on survival and quality of life of patients. Structured screening for the risk of malnutrition with validated tools and nutritional assessment are the prerequisite for adequate nutritional support in cancer patients. In patients receiving tumour directed therapy, the patients diet should meet the requirements to give optimal support, while later on comfort feeding is part of symptom focused palliation. The basis of nutritional support in a malnourished patient is nutritional counselling, and nutritional support can be offered within a step-up approach meeting the patient's needs. A combination of nutritional support with interventions targeting metabolic changes and physical exercise is suggested to treat cancer cachexia.
-
8.
Promising results of a new treatment in patients with bowel obstruction in colorectal surgery.
Fahim, M, Dijksman, LM, van Kessel, CS, Smeeing, DPJ, Braaksma, A, Derksen, WJM, Smits, AB
European journal of surgical oncology : the journal of the European Society of Surgical Oncology and the British Association of Surgical Oncology. 2020;(3):415-419
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Bowel obstruction increases risk of emergency surgery and leads to suboptimal physical and nutritional condition. Preventing emergency surgery and prehabilitation might improve outcomes. This pilot study aimed to examine the effect of a multimodal obstruction protocol for bowel obstruction patients on the risk of emergency surgery and postoperative morbidity and mortality. MATERIALS AND METHODS All bowel obstruction patients treated according to the obstruction protocol in the period 2013-2017 were included in this uncontrolled observational cohort study. Benign and malignant causes of bowel obstruction were included. The protocol consisted of: 1. specific dietary adjustments to reduce prestenotic dilatation, 2. oral laxatives and 3. prehabilitation. Emergency surgery and postoperative morbidity and mortality rates were compared to known rates from the literature. RESULTS Sixty-one patients were included: 44 (72%) were treated for colorectal cancer and 17 (28%) for Crohn's disease or diverticulitis. Four patients (7%) underwent emergency surgery. Primary anastomosis was constructed in 49 out of 57 elective patients (86%). Severe complications (Clavien-Dindo ≥ III) occurred in four patients (7%). No bowel perforation, anastomotic leakages or 30-day mortality was observed. These rates were much lower than rates reported in the literature after surgery for colorectal cancer (3% bowel perforation, 8% anastomotic leakage, 4% 30-day mortality, 15% severe complications) and benign disease (30-day mortality 17%, severe complications 7%). CONCLUSION Using the obstruction protocol in patients with bowel obstruction reduced emergency surgery and postoperative morbidity and mortality in this pilot study. This protocol seems to be a viable and efficient alternative to emergency surgery.
-
9.
Energy expenditure and caloric targets during continuous renal replacement therapy under regional citrate anticoagulation. A viewpoint.
Jonckheer, J, Spapen, H, Malbrain, MLNG, Oschima, T, De Waele, E
Clinical nutrition (Edinburgh, Scotland). 2020;(2):353-357
Abstract
BACKGROUND Indirect calorimetry (IC) is the gold standard for measuring energy expenditure in critically ill patients However, continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) is a formal contraindication for IC use. AIMS To discuss specific issues that hamper or preclude an IC-based assessment of energy expenditure and correct caloric prescription in CRRT-treated patients. METHODS Narrative review of current literature. RESULTS Several relevant pitfalls for validation of IC during CRRT were identified. First, IC measures CO2 production (VCO2) and O2 consumption to calculate resting energy expenditure (REE) with the Weir equation. VCO2 measurements are influenced by CRRT because CO2 is exchanged during the blood purification process. CO2 exchange also depends on type of pre- and/or postdilution fluid(s). CO2 dissolves in different forms with dynamic but unpredictable impact on VCO2. Second, the effect of immunologic activation and heat loss on REE caused by extracorporeal circulation during CRRT is poorly documented. Third, caloric prescription should be adapted to CRRT-induced in- and efflux of different nutrients. Finally, citrate, which is the preferred anticoagulant for CRRT, is a caloric source that may influence IC measurements and REE. CONCLUSION Better understanding of CRRT-related processes is needed to assess REE and provide individualized nutritional therapy in this condition.
-
10.
Muscle Mass Loss in the Older Critically Ill Population: Potential Therapeutic Strategies.
McKendry, J, Thomas, ACQ, Phillips, SM
Nutrition in clinical practice : official publication of the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition. 2020;(4):607-616
Abstract
Skeletal muscle plays a critical role in everyday life, and its age-associated reduction has severe health consequences. The pre-existing presence of sarcopenia, combined with anabolic resistance, protein undernutrition, and the pro-catabolic/anti-anabolic milieu induced by aging and exacerbated in critical care, may accelerate the rate at which skeletal muscle is lost in patients with critical illness. Advancements in intensive care unit (ICU)-care provision have drastically improved survival rates; therefore, attention can be redirected toward other significant issues affecting ICU patients (e.g., length of stay, days on ventilation, nosocomial disease development, etc.). Thus, strategies targeting muscle mass and function losses within an ICU setting are essential to improve patient-related outcomes. Notably, loading exercise and protein provision are the most compelling. Many older ICU patients seldom meet the recommended protein intake, and loading exercise is difficult to conduct in the ICU. Nevertheless, the incorporation of physical therapy (PT), neuromuscular electrical stimulation, and early mobilization strategies may be beneficial. Furthermore, a number of nutrition practices within the ICU have been shown to improve patient-related outcomes ((e.g., feeding strategy [i.e., oral, early enteral, or parenteral]), be hypocaloric (∼70%-80% energy requirements), and increase protein provision (∼1.2-2.5 g/kg/d)). The aim of this brief review is to discuss the dysregulation of muscle mass maintenance in an older ICU population and highlight the potential benefits of strategic nutrition practice, specifically protein, and PT within the ICU. Finally, we provide some general guidelines that may serve to counteract muscle mass loss in patients with critical illness.