Nutritional management and clinical outcome of critically ill patients with COVID-19: A retrospective study in a tertiary hospital.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Severe COVID-19 infection is characterized by an inflammatory response and lung injury that can evolve into an acute respiratory distress syndrome that needs support treatment in intensive care unit. Nutritional treatment is an important component of the management of critically ill patients and should be started in the first 48 h of ICU admission to avoid malnutrition. This study describes the characteristics of the patients treated in a tertiary hospital in Madrid during the months of March-May 2020 (first wave), the medical nutrition treatment employed and its influence in the clinical outcome of these patients. METHODS: This is a retrospective study including COVID-19 patients admitted in ICU that needed medical nutrition treatment (MNT). Collected variables included sex, age, BMI, underlying diseases, time from hospitalisation to ICU admission, type of respiratory support (invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) or high flow nasal cannula (HFNC) or non-invasive ventilation (non-IMV)), caloric and protein requirements (25 kcal/kg adjusted body weight (ABW), 1.3 g/kg ABW/day), MNT type (enteral nutrition (EN), parenteral nutrition (PN), mixed EN + PN), total calories (including propofol) and proteins administered, percentage of caloric and protein goal in ICU day 4th and 7th, metabolic complications, acute kidney failure (AKF), length of stay (LOS) and mortality. Data are expressed as mean ± SD, median (IQR) or frequencies. Statistical analysis was performed with the IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 25.0. p < 0.05 were considered statistically significant. RESULTS: A total of 176 patients were included (72.7% male), 60.1 ± 13.5 years, BMI 29.9 ± 5.4 kg/m2. Underlying diseases included 47.4% overweight, 39.8% obesity, 49.1% hypertension, 41.4% dyslipidaemia. 88.6% of patients needed IMV, 89.1% prone position, 2.9% ECMO. Time to ICU admission: 2 (4.75) days. Estimated caloric and protein requirements were 1775 ± 202 kcal and 92.4 ± 10.3 g. Calories and proteins administered at days 4th and 7th were 1425 ± 577 kcal and 66 ± 26 g and 1574 ± 555 and 74 ± 37, respectively. Most of the patients received PN (alone or complementary to EN) to cover nutritional requirements (82.4% at day 4th and 77.9% at day 7th). IVM patients received more calories and proteins during the first week of ICU admission. Complications included 77.8% hyperglycaemia, 13.2% hypoglycaemia, 83.8% hypertriglyceridemia, and 35.1% AKF. ICU LOS was 20.5 (26) days. The mortality rate was 36.4%. CONCLUSIONS: In our series, the majority of patients reached energy and protein requirements in the first week of ICU admission due to the use of PN (total or complementary to EN). Patients with HFNC or non-IMV may be at risk of malnutrition if total or complementary PN to oral diet/ONS/tube feeding is not used to cover nutritional requirements. Therefore, if EN is not possible or insufficient, PN can be safely used in critically ill patients with COVID-19 with a close monitoring of metabolic complications.

[Sea-blue histiocyte syndrome associated with home parenteral nutrition]. / Síndrome del histiocito azul marino en relación a nutrición parenteral domiciliaria.

A case of a 55 years-old male with long-term Crohn's disease without response to medical treatment and many intestinal fistula is presented. After the last bowel resection, home parenteral nutrition was started. He presented chronic hepatopathy and pancytopaenia. After 9 months of home parenteral nutrition hepatic function and pancytopaenia began to deteriorate. Bone marrow examination revealed an infiltrate of sea-blue histiocytes. He made unsatisfactory progress and died due to a multiorganic failure.

Atrophy of the intestinal villi in a post-gastrectomy patient with severe iron deficiency anemia.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Iron deficiency anemia is a common complication of gastric surgery that in certain patients can be refractory to treatment with oral iron and needs to be treated parenterally. METHODS: A 48-year woman underwent gastric surgery for a gastric ulcer. She was referred to the nutrition unit for the study and treatment of a 3-year iron deficiency anemia refractory to oral iron supplementation. Blood tests, endoscopy and jejunal biopsy were made to study the case. RESULTS: Intestinal villi atrophy in the absence of celiac disease was the result. She was treated with intravenous iron, resolving the villous atrophy and thus oral iron supplementation could be effective. CONCLUSION: This case illustrates that iron deficiency may cause villous atrophy. In this setting, parenteral iron administration is necessary to correct the haematological and non-hematological alterations associated with this deficiency.

[Intragastric balloon in obesity treatment]. / Balón intragástrico en el tratamiento de la obesidad.

Obesity is considered a chronic and epidemic illness, hece difficult to treat. As conservative treatment has a high rate of failure, and considering morbimortality and sequels of surgery, less invasive techniques appeared to contribute to the treatment of this illness. The most implanted technique nowadays is the Intragastric Balloon, considered more efficient as conservative treatments and with less risks tan surgery, but having today a lack of consensus on indications and few information on his limitations, while its apparition in medias promote an important expansion in the 4 last years. In this publication, we do a critical revision, and describe limitations of this treatment, based on the evidences given by literature. We conclude this revision with some recommendations concerning the technique and indications, material and human requiring, need of a Multidisciplinary Team, as well as an adequate control and following.

Direct costs of a home parenteral nutrition programme.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Home parenteral nutrition (HPN) is a lifesaving treatment for people with chronic intestinal failure and its cost has been reported to be very high. The purpose of the present paper was to study the direct healthcare and non-healthcare costs associated with the HPN programme managed by a tertiary hospital. METHODS: Observational, retrospective study of all adult patients on HPN from 11.1.2014 to 10.31.2015 treated at Gregorio Marañón University Hospital (Madrid, Spain). An economic evaluation was undertaken to calculate the direct healthcare (HPN provision, outpatient monitoring and management of complications) and non-healthcare costs (transportation process) of the HPN programme. The variables were collected from medical records, the dispensary and the hospital's financial services. The unit costs were taken from official price lists. RESULTS: Thirty-two patients met the inclusion criteria. Total direct healthcare and non-healthcare costs amounted to €13,363.53 per patient (€124.02 per patient per day). The direct healthcare costs accounted for 98.32% of overall costs, while the non-healthcare costs accounted for the remaining 1.68%. HPN provision accounted for the majority of the costs (74.25%), followed by management of complications (21.85%) and outpatient monitoring (2.23%). CONCLUSIONS: The direct healthcare costs accounted for the majority of HPN expenditure, specifically HPN provision was the category with the highest percentage.

A Spanish Society joint SECO and SEEDO approach to the Post-operative management of the patients undergoing surgery for obesity.

PURPOSE: Bariatric surgery is the method of choice for the management or treatment of obesity. Bariatric surgery brings about several physiological changes in the body and is associated with set of complications. The aim of this study is to provide guidelines on post bariatric surgery management based on consensus by the Spanish society for Obesity Surgery (Sociedad Española de Cirugía de la Obesidad) (SECO) and the Spanish Society for the Study of Obesity (Sociedad Española para el Estudio de la Obesidad) (SEEDO). METHOD: The boards proposed seven experts from each society. The experts provided the evidence and a grade of recommendation on the selected topics based on systematic reviews/meta-analysis. A list of clinical practical recommendations levels of evidence and grades of these recommendations was derived from the consensus statements from the members of these societies. RESULTS: Seventeen topics related to post-operative management were reviewed after bariatric surgery. The experts came with 47 recommendations and statements. The mean number of persons voting at each statement was 54 (range 36-76). CONCLUSION: In this consensus, we have designed a set of guidelines to be followed while managing patients after bariatric surgery. Expertise and knowledge of the clinicians are required to convey suitable considerations to the post-bariatric patients. There should also be extensive follow-up plans for the bariatric surgery patients.

How accurate are predictive formulas calculating energy expenditure in adolescent patients with anorexia nervosa?

BACKGROUND & AIMS: To compare resting energy expenditure, measured by indirect calorimetry, to values estimated by different predictive formulas in adolescent patients with anorexia nervosa. METHODS: We studied 22 female in-patients with a mean age of 14.7 years (SD 1.2). Resting energy expenditure was measured by indirect calorimetry (Deltatrac II MBM-200). We compared measured resting energy expenditure to values estimated by several predictive formulas [Fleisch, Harris-Benedict, FAO, Schofield-HW, Schebendach] using the intraclass correlation coefficient and the Bland-Altman method. RESULTS: Body mass index increased significantly (P<0.001). Measured resting energy expenditure increased during hospitalization (P<0.05). All formulas overestimated resting energy expenditure with respect to indirect calorimetry except the Schebendach formula. The intraclass correlation between indirect calorimetry and the formulas were poor (0.09-0.20). We observed a poor clinical agreement (Bland-Altman). CONCLUSIONS: Body mass index and resting energy expenditure increased during hospitalization. The majority of the predictive formulas overestimate resting energy expenditure in adolescent patients with anorexia nervosa. Therefore, indirect calorimetry may be a very useful tool for calculating caloric requirements in these patients.

Critical assessment of the current guidelines for the management and treatment of morbidly obese patients.

An interdisciplinary panel of specialists met in Mallorca in the first European Symposium on Morbid Obesity entitled; "Morbid Obesity, an Interdisciplinary Approach". During the two and half days of the meeting, the participants discussed several aspects related to pathogenesis, evaluation, and treatment of morbid obesity. The expert panel included basic research scientists, dietitians and nutritionists, exercise physiologists, endocrinologists, psychiatrists, cardiologists, pneumonologists, anesthesiologists, and bariatric surgeons with expertise in the different weight loss surgeries. The symposium was sponsored by the Balearic Islands Health Department; however, this statement is an independent report of the panel and is not a policy statement of any of the sponsors or endorsers of the Symposium. The prevalence of morbid obesity, the most severe state of the disease, has become epidemic. The current recommendations for the therapy of the morbidly obese comes as a result of a National Institutes of Health (NIH) Consensus Conference held in 1991 and subsequently reviewed in 2004 by the American Society for Bariatric Surgery. This document reviews the work-up evaluation of the morbidly obese patient, the current status of the indications for bariatric surgery and which type of procedure should be recommended; it also brings up for discussion some important real-life clinical practice issues, which should be taken into consideration when evaluating and treating morbidly obese patients. Finally, it also goes through current scientific evidence supporting the potential effectiveness of medical therapy as treatment of patients with morbid obesity.

[Gastric surgery as a nutritional risk factor]. / Cirugía gástrica como factor de riesgo nutricional.

BACKGROUND: The stomach has a role in the digestion and absorption of nutrients, so patients are in nutritional risk after gastric resection. The aim of this work was to study the nutritional status of postgastrectomy outpatients followed in our hospital. METHODS: We retrospectively studied 54 patients (27 M, 27 F) followed more than 12 months postgastrectomy. Mean age was 61 +/- 14 yr and median follow-up was 35 months. The nutritional assessment included anthropometry, biochemical data and measurement of bone mineral density by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. The statistical analysis was performed by non-parametric tests. RESULTS: Malignancy was the most frequent indication (85%), 63% of patients had total gastrectomy. Patients were supplemented with iron (43%), B12 (87%), calcium (18%) and vitamin D (17%). 13% of patients had a BMI < 18.5. The incidence of 25 OH vitamin D deficiency and secondary hyperparathyroidism was 45% and 76%, respectively. The incidence of osteoporosis at lumbar spine was 46%. Matched with same age-sex people patients had 85.6% of bone mineral density. CONCLUSIONS: The loss of weight and the metabolic bone disease were the most prevalent impairments after gastric resection. These impairments point to the importance of a nutritional surveillance of patients after gastric resection.

Vacunas SARS-CoV-2 / Vaccines SARS-CoV-2

Vaccines are biological products that stimulate the immune system to generate specific responses and immune memory. Faced with the magnitude of the problem caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, there is an urgent need to find an effective and safe preventive intervention. The race to find the ideal vaccine against this new coronavirus has required optimizing research times on this topic. Currently, more than 200 SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidates are in development, 177 in preclinical evaluation, 63 in clinical evaluation and 16 of them in phase 3 of clinical trials. In our country, 3 SARS-CoV-2 vaccines are already authorized for administration, which have demonstrated safety and efficacy in clinical trials. (AU)

Manifestaciones clínicas Covid-19 / Clinical manifestations of Covid-19

The current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic originated in China in late 2019, when an outbreak of pneumonia cases of unknown cause raised suspicions of an emerging infectious agent. More than 1 year after the identification of this new coronavirus, it has already caused more than 100 million cases worldwide. Coronavirus Disease 2019 (Covid-19), as defined by the WHO in February 2020, has a diverse clinical presentation from asymptomatic individuals to multi-organ failure and death. In this review, we will describe the main clinical manifestations of Covid-19 in adults. (AU)

Effect of inulin and fructo-oligosaccharide on the prevention of acute radiation enteritis in patients with gynecological cancer and impact on quality-of-life: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The pathogenesis of enteritis after abdominal radiotherapy (RT) is unknown, although changes in fecal microbiota may be involved. Prebiotics stimulate the proliferation of Lactobacillus spp and Bifidobacterium spp, and this may have positive effects on the intestinal mucosa during abdominal RT. SUBJECTS/METHODS: We performed a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial involving patients with gynecological cancer who received abdominal RT after surgery. Patients were randomized to receive prebiotics or placebo. The prebiotic group received a mixture of fiber (50 inulin and 50% fructo-oligosaccharide), and the placebo group received 6 g of maltodextrin twice daily from 1 week before to 3 weeks after RT. The number of bowel movements and stool consistency was recorded daily. Diarrhea was evaluated according to the Common Toxicity Criteria of the National Cancer Institute. Stool consistency was assessed using the 7-point Bristol scale. Patients' quality-of-life was evaluated at baseline and at completion of RT using the EORTC-QLQ-C30 (European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer quality-of-life Questionnaire C30) test. RESULTS: Thirty-eight women with a mean age of 60.3±11.8 years participated in the study. Both groups (prebiotic (n=20) and placebo (n=18)) were comparable in their baseline characteristics. The number of bowel movements per month increased in both groups during RT. The number of bowel movements per day increased in both groups. The number of days with watery stool (Bristol score 7) was lower in the prebiotic group (3.3±4.4 to 2.2±1.6) than in the placebo group (P=0.08). With respect to quality-of-life, the symptoms with the highest score in the placebo group were insomnia at baseline and diarrhea toward the end of the treatment. In the prebiotic group, insomnia was the symptom with the highest score at both assessments, although the differences were not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: Prebiotics can improve the consistency of stools in gynecologic cancer patients on RT. This finding could have important implications in the quality-of-life of these patients during treatment.

[Osteoporosis and inflammatory bowel disease]. / Osteoporosis y enfermedad inflamatoria intestinal.

Inflammatory bowel disease is a chronic disease with an unknown ethiology although multiple factors intervene such as individual, genetic and immunologic susceptibility, as well as different environmental factors. Like other multisystemic diseases, its clinical manifestations are diverse and it may affect other organs besides the gastrointestinal tract. In the last few years there is a growing interest for one of these extraintestinal manifestations, osteoporosis and osteopenia that may affect up to 42% of patients and can condition an important increase in morbility. Inactivity, prolonged corticosteroid treatment, nutritional deficiencies and the disease per se have an important role in the development of this complication. This article reviews clinical and ethiological aspects of inflammatory bowel disease associated osteoporosis and offers a strategy for diagnosis and treatment.

Copper deficiency with pancytopenia due to enteral nutrition through jejunostomy.

Copper deficiency is a rare complication of enteral nutrition. Haematologic abnormalities such as neutropenia and anaemia, but not pancytopenia, have been described associated to copper deficiency. We report the case of a patient requiring long term enteral nutrition through jejunostomy who developed copper deficiency and pancytopenia. In 1991, a 47-year-old woman was admitted with severe gastroesophageal mucositis after an attempted suicide with caustic intake. Enteral nutrition with a commercial, polymeric, fiber-containing formula was started. Twenty-eight months later, the patient developed anemia and neutropenia that did not respond to combined iron and parenteral vitamin B(12) supplementation. In 1996 the patient showed pancytopenia and low serum levels of copper and ceruloplasmin. Pancytopenia improved after copper supplementation. Possible mechanism causing copper deficiency and pancytopenia are discussed. We conclude that assessment of copper status is advisable in patients receiving long-term enteral nutrition by jejunostomy.

Growth hormone secretory response to intravenous galanin infusion in acromegalic patients.

Galanin is a 29-amino acid neuropeptide which stimulates the secretion of growth hormone (GH) in normal men. Although the diagnosis of acromegaly involves demonstrating hypersecretion of GH and/or abnormalities in GH secretory dynamics, sometimes it is difficult to establish the activity of the disease. The aim of our study was to assess the response to galanin infusion in acromegalic patients (active and cured). We studied 19 subjects: 5 healthy volunteers (group I), 9 patients with active acromegaly (group II), and 5 with acromegaly cured after transsphenoidal surgery (group III). We performed a test of infusion with porcine galanin (8 microg/Kg/h) to study the secretory response of the GH. Galanin produced a marked increase in GH in the controls, group I (F9,36 = 5.34; p < 0.01) and in the cured patients, group III (F9,36 = 7.35; p < 0.01). On the other hand, galanin did not significantly modify the secretion of GH in the patients with active disease, group II. The areas under the curve (AUC) were higher in groups I and III compared to group II (p < 0.01). Nevertheless, there were no statistically significant differences in the AUC of groups I and III. Our results indicate that the differences in the GH response to galanin in patients with active and cured acromegaly could be of value in the study of the disease.

[Long-term follow-up of home parenteral nutrition at a general hospital: complications and quality of life]. / Seguimiento a largo plazo de la nutrición parenteral domiciliaria en un hospital general: complicaciones y calidad de vida.

OBJECTIVE: The present study assesses the septic, thrombotic and hepatic complications and also the quality of life of patients with home parenteral nutrition (NPD in its Spanish acronym). METHODS: The case histories of patients treated with NPD at our hospital were collected for the period January, 1986, to January, 2001. We had 20 patients, mean age 48 +/- 14 years (mean +/- SD), with a total catheterization time of 16,292 days. The main causes of intestinal failure were mesenteric ischaemia and radical enteritis. Quality of life was assessed by means of the Sickness Impact Profile (SIP) and the Karnofsky Index (KI). RESULTS: We found a catheter infection rate of 0.42 per 100 days of catheter, mostly produced by coagulase-negative staphylococci (63%). In 30% of the cases, it was necessary to remove the catheter, including in all cases produced by Candida. Cather occlusion rate was 0.05 per 100 days. Five patients presented an increase in transaminases and alkaline phosphatase, and one female patient developed cholestasis. Two patients died of NPD-related causes. The results of the quality of life analysis showed it was moderately affected, with SIP scores of 14.6 +/- 3.5 and KI results of 70 +/- 20 (mean +/- SD). CONCLUSIONS: Home parenteral nutrition allows a greater survival in cases of intestinal failure. The most frequent complication is an infection of the catheter. The results of the quality of life analysis in our series reveal it was moderately affected in most cases.

[Severe hypophosphataemia after starting parenteral nutrition in a patient with an intestinal fistula]. / Hipofosfatemia grave tras el inicio de nutrición parenteral en una paciente con fístula intestinal.

Hypophosphataemia is a complication that may appear in undernourished patients who are given nutrition by either enteral or parenteral means. It is associated with several clinical manifestations, including cardiological, neurological and haematological conditions of note, and may potentially be even life-threatening. It is therefore mandatory to ensure prevention and follow-up in those patients at risk of suffering this condition, taking into account the considerable morbidity and mortality associated with it.

[Disseminated Mycobacterium bovis tuberculosis in an aged female patient without HIV infection]. / Tuberculose généralisée à Mycobacterium bovis chez une malade âgée en dehors de l'infection à VIH.

The authors report the case of a woman affected by disseminated infection caused by Mycobacterium bovis, without risk exposure and immunodeficiency. There were chest and urinary localisations and bacteremia. Usually, M bovis is responsible of chest tuberculosis, in patients with professional exposure. Disseminated forms usually affect patients with immunodeficiency. Bacteria may be responsible of about 1% of tuberculosis, but real frequency is not known, because of its non specific report.

[Adherence and fidelity in patients treated with intragastric balloon]. / Adherencia y fidelidad en el paciente tratado con balon intragastrico.

A correct treatment of obesity needs a program of habits modification regardless of the selected technique, especially if it is minimally invasive as the intragastric balloon (BIG). The adherence of the obese patients with regard to recommended drugs measures to medium- and long-term is less than 50%. Given that the results obtained using the technique of gastric balloon must be seen influenced by adherence to the modification of habits program and its fulfillment, we reviewed series published in attention to the program proposed with the BIG. The series published to date provide few details about the used Therapeutic Programs as well as the adherence of patients to them, and even less concerning the Monitoring Plan and the loyalty of the patient can be seen. We conclude the convenience to agree on a follow-up strategy, at least the 6 months during which the BIG remain in the stomach.

[Minimally invasive emergent techniques in obesity treatment]. / Técnicas mínimamente invasivas emergentes en el tratamiento de la obesidad.

INTRODUCTION: Obesity is a chronic disease for which several modalities of treatment are investigated today. One of them is the set of minimally aggressive techniques that have been added to the intragastric balloon. OBJECTIVE: To review the minimally invasive techniques described in the last years for the treatment of obesity. MATERIAL AND METHOD: It consisted in reviewing the bibliography through the habitual finders, in addition to the obtained data of the companies. They are classified in restrictive and malabsortive, and the restrictive are divides in mechanical or functional restriction. RESULT: Between mechanical restrictive the classified as we included in the restrictive emergent techniques the adjustable intragastric balloon, the intragastric prosthesis, the vertical endoluminal gastroplasty and the transoral gastroplasty. In order to obtain a functional restriction, we have the gastric pacemaker and the botulinic toxin. And finally, the endoluminal duodenojejunal bypass is described as a malabsortive technique. DISCUSSION: With less than 10 years of existence, it seems that the described techniques compensate their smaller effectiveness compared to the surgical techniques, with the absence of substantial modifications in the anatomy of the alimentary tract. None of these techniques is free of risks and complications.