[DGEM Guideline "Clinical Nutrition in Critical Care Medicine" - short version]. / DGEM-Leitlinie: Klinische Ernährung in der Intensivmedizin ­ Kurzversion.

PURPOSE: Variations of clinical nutrition may affect outcome of critically ill patients. Here we present the short version of the updated consenus-based guideline (S2k classification) "Clinical nutrition in critical care medicine" of the German Society for Nutritional Medicine (DGEM) in cooperation with 7 other national societies. The target population of the guideline was defined as critically ill adult patients who suffer from at least one acute organ dysfunction requiring specific drug therapy and/or a mechanical support device (e.g. mechanical ventilation) to maintain organ function. METHODS: The former guidelines of the German Society for Nutritional Medicine (DGEM) were updated according to the current instructions of the Association of the Scientific Medical Societies in Germany (AWMF) valid for a S2k-guideline. We considered and commented the evidence from randomized-controlled trials, meta-analyses and observational studies with adequate sample size and high methodological quality (until May 2018) as well as from currently valid guidelines of international societies. The liability of each recommendation was indicated using linguistic terms. Each recommendation was finally validated and consented by a Delphi process. RESULTS: The short version presents a summary of all 69 consented recommendations for essential, practice-relevant elements of clinical nutrition in the target population. A specific focus is the adjustment of nutrition according to the phases of critical illness, and to the individual tolerance to exogenous substrates. Among others, recommendations include the assessment of nutritional status, the indication for clinical nutrition, the timing, route, magnitude and composition of nutrition (macro- and micronutrients) as well as distinctive aspects of nutrition therapy in obese critically ill patients and those with extracorporeal support devices. CONCLUSION: The current short version of the guideline provides a concise summary of the updated recommendations for enteral and parenteral nutrition of adult critically ill patients who suffer from at least one acute organ dysfunction requiring pharmacological and/or mechanical support. The validity of the guideline is approximately fixed at five years (2018 - 2023).

Gastrointestinal dysmotility in the critically ill: a role for nutrition.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The role of enteral nutrition on gastrointestinal dysmotility in the critically ill remains controversial. RECENT FINDINGS: The mechanisms of gastrointestinal dysmotility during critical illness remain poorly investigated. Low amounts of enteral feeding stimulate motility and have trophic effects. Therefore, enteral feeding is feasible even during gastrointestinal dysmotility as seen in the hemodynamically compromised patient. Rapid 'ramp-up' of administration rate of tube feeding bears the risk of overload and even detrimental ischemic bowel necrosis. The recent American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition guidelines do not recommend the measurement of gastric residual volume. The use of concentrated enteral solutions with 1.5 kcal/ml may result in greater calorie delivery. Biomarkers like plasma citrulline and plasma or urine intestinal fatty-acid-binding protein reflect the functional integrity of the bowel and may potentially support monitoring. SUMMARY: To improve enteral nutrition protocols, the definitions of gastrointestinal dysfunction, gastric dysmotility, and feeding intolerance should be clearly defined in the future. In the concept of integrity of the gut, enteral nutrition should not be stopped completely during gastrointestinal dysfunction but restricted to a 'minimal' trophic feeding rate. In malnourished and high-risk patients intolerant to enteral feeding supplemental parenteral nutrition should be started on day 4 or earlier.

High-protein enteral nutrition enriched with immune-modulating nutrients vs standard high-protein enteral nutrition and nosocomial infections in the ICU: a randomized clinical trial.

IMPORTANCE: Enteral administration of immune-modulating nutrients (eg, glutamine, omega-3 fatty acids, selenium, and antioxidants) has been suggested to reduce infections and improve recovery from critical illness. However, controversy exists on the use of immune-modulating enteral nutrition, reflected by lack of consensus in guidelines. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether high-protein enteral nutrition enriched with immune-modulating nutrients (IMHP) reduces the incidence of infections compared with standard high-protein enteral nutrition (HP) in mechanically ventilated critically ill patients. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: The MetaPlus study, a randomized, double-blind, multicenter trial, was conducted from February 2010 through April 2012 including a 6-month follow-up period in 14 intensive care units (ICUs) in the Netherlands, Germany, France, and Belgium. A total of 301 adult patients who were expected to be ventilated for more than 72 hours and to require enteral nutrition for more than 72 hours were randomized to the IMHP (n = 152) or HP (n = 149) group and included in an intention-to-treat analysis, performed for the total population as well as predefined medical, surgical, and trauma subpopulations. INTERVENTIONS: High-protein enteral nutrition enriched with immune-modulating nutrients vs standard high-protein enteral nutrition, initiated within 48 hours of ICU admission and continued during the ICU stay for a maximum of 28 days. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: The primary outcome measure was incidence of new infections according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) definitions. Secondary end points included mortality, Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) scores, mechanical ventilation duration, ICU and hospital lengths of stay, and subtypes of infections according CDC definitions. RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences in incidence of new infections between the groups: 53% (95% CI, 44%-61%) in the IMHP group vs 52% (95% CI, 44%-61%) in the HP group (P = .96). No statistically significant differences were observed in other end points, except for a higher 6-month mortality rate in the medical subgroup: 54% (95% CI, 40%-67%) in the IMHP group vs 35% (95% CI, 22%-49%) in the HP group (P = .04), with a hazard ratio of 1.57 (95% CI, 1.03-2.39; P = .04) for 6-month mortality adjusted for age and Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score comparing the groups. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Among adult patients breathing with the aid of mechanical ventilation in the ICU, IMHP compared with HP did not improve infectious complications or other clinical end points and may be harmful as suggested by increased adjusted mortality at 6 months. These findings do not support the use of IMHP nutrients in these patients. TRIAL REGISTRATION: trialregister.nl Identifier: NTR2181.

[Nutrition of the critically ill - is less more? How much energy for the ICU patient?]. / Ernährung in der Intensivmedizin - Ist weniger und später mehr? Wie viele Kalorien benötigt der Intensivpatient?

Decreased nutritional intake or preexisting malnutrition is associated with increased morbidity and mortality during hospital stay. However nutritional support in particular for the ICU patient is not trivial. Hyperalimentation in the acute phase of critical illness but also hypoalimentation in the chronic and stable phase of illness has to be avoided. Ideally about 25 kcal/kg/d should be targeted over a few days during metabolic monitoring. Alternatively indirect calorimetry should be applied where available.

[Update glutamine and antioxidants in critically ill patients]. / Ernährung in der Intensivmedizin - Update Glutamin und Antioxidanzien bei kritisch Kranken.

Critical illness leads to oxidative stress and can induce or exacerbate nutrient deficiencies. This predisposes patients in the intensive care unit to impaired immune function and increased risk of developing infectious complications, organ dysfunction, and therefore worsens clinical outcome. Immune-modulating properties of specific nutrients such as glutamine and antioxidants may support the endogenous antioxidative system, improve immune and organ function and translate into better clinical outcome of the critically ill patient. The following article summarizes the rationale and provides an update on recent clinical studies with special focus on the use of glutamine and antioxidants in critically ill patients. It further provides recommendations for the clinical use of these substrates in this particular patient population.

[Laboratory and calorimetric monitoring of medical nutrition therapy in intensive and intermediate care units : Second position paper of the Section Metabolism and Nutrition of the German Interdisciplinary Association for Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine (DIVI)]. / Laborchemisches und kalorimetrisches Monitoring der medizinischen Ernährungstherapie auf der Intensiv- und Intermediate Care Station : Zweites Positionspapier der Sektion Metabolismus und Ernährung der Deutschen Interdisziplinären Vereinigung für Intensiv- und Notfallmedizin (DIVI).

This second position paper of the Section Metabolism and Nutrition of the German Interdisciplinary Association for Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine (DIVI) provides recommendations on the laboratory monitoring of macro- and micronutrient intake as well as the use of indirect calorimetry in the context of medical nutrition therapy of critically ill adult patients. In addition, recommendations are given for disease-related or individual (level determination) substitution and (high-dose) pharmacotherapy of vitamins and trace elements.

[Assessment and technical monitoring of nutritional status of patients in intensive and intermediate care units : Position paper of the Section Metabolism and Nutrition of the German Interdisciplinary Association for Intensive and Emergency Medicine (DIVI)]. / Erfassung und apparatives Monitoring des Ernährungsstatus von Patient*innen auf der Intensiv- und Intermediate Care Station : Positionspapier der Sektion Metabolismus und Ernährung der Deutschen Interdisziplinären Vereinigung für Intensiv- und Notfallmedizin (DIVI).

At the time of admission to an intensive or intermediate care unit, assessment of the patients' nutritional status may have both prognostic and therapeutic relevance with regard to the planning of individualized medical nutrition therapy (MNT). MNT has definitely no priority in the initial treatment of a critically ill patient, but is often also neglected during the course of the disease. Especially with prolonged length of stay, there is an increasing risk of malnutrition with considerable prognostic macro- and/or micronutrient deficit. So far, there are no structured, evidence-based recommendations for assessing nutritional status in intensive or intermediate care patients. This position paper of the Section Metabolism and Nutrition of the German Interdisciplinary Association for Intensive and Emergency Medicine (DIVI) presents consensus-based recommendations for the assessment and technical monitoring of nutritional status of patients in intensive and intermediate care units. These recommendations supplement the current S2k guideline "Clinical Nutrition in Intensive Care Medicine" of the German Society for Nutritional Medicine (DGEM) and the DIVI.

Progranulin signaling in sepsis, community-acquired bacterial pneumonia and COVID-19: a comparative, observational study.

BACKGROUND: Progranulin is a widely expressed pleiotropic growth factor with a central regulatory effect during the early immune response in sepsis. Progranulin signaling has not been systematically studied and compared between sepsis, community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), COVID-19 pneumonia and a sterile systemic inflammatory response (SIRS). We delineated molecular networks of progranulin signaling by next-generation sequencing (NGS), determined progranulin plasma concentrations and quantified the diagnostic performance of progranulin to differentiate between the above-mentioned disorders using the established biomarkers procalcitonin (PCT), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and C-reactive protein (CRP) for comparison. METHODS: The diagnostic performance of progranulin was operationalized by calculating AUC and ROC statistics for progranulin and established biomarkers in 241 patients with sepsis, 182 patients with SIRS, 53 patients with CAP, 22 patients with COVID-19 pneumonia and 53 healthy volunteers. miRNAs and mRNAs in blood cells from sepsis patients (n = 7) were characterized by NGS and validated by RT-qPCR in an independent cohort (n = 39) to identify canonical gene networks associated with upregulated progranulin at sepsis onset. RESULTS: Plasma concentrations of progranulin (ELISA) in patients with sepsis were 57.5 (42.8-84.9, Q25-Q75) ng/ml and significantly higher than in CAP (38.0, 33.5-41.0 ng/ml, p < 0.001), SIRS (29.0, 25.0-35.0 ng/ml, p < 0.001) and the healthy state (28.7, 25.5-31.7 ng/ml, p < 0.001). Patients with COVID-19 had significantly higher progranulin concentrations than patients with CAP (67.6, 56.6-96.0 vs. 38.0, 33.5-41.0 ng/ml, p < 0.001). The diagnostic performance of progranulin for the differentiation between sepsis vs. SIRS (n = 423) was comparable to that of procalcitonin. AUC was 0.90 (95% CI = 0.87-0.93) for progranulin and 0.92 (CI = 0.88-0.96, p = 0.323) for procalcitonin. Progranulin showed high discriminative power to differentiate bacterial CAP from COVID-19 (sensitivity 0.91, specificity 0.94, AUC 0.91 (CI = 0.8-1.0) and performed significantly better than PCT, IL-6 and CRP. NGS and partial RT-qPCR confirmation revealed a transcriptomic network of immune cells with upregulated progranulin and sortilin transcripts as well as toll-like-receptor 4 and tumor-protein 53, regulated by miR-16 and others. CONCLUSIONS: Progranulin signaling is elevated during the early antimicrobial response in sepsis and differs significantly between sepsis, CAP, COVID-19 and SIRS. This suggests that progranulin may serve as a novel indicator for the differentiation between these disorders. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials.gov registration number NCT03280576 Registered November 19, 2015.

CXCL12 mediates CCR7-independent homing of central memory cells, but not naive T cells, in peripheral lymph nodes.

Central memory CD8(+) T cells (T(CM)) confer superior protective immunity against infections compared with other T cell subsets. T(CM) recirculate mainly through secondary lymphoid organs, including peripheral lymph nodes (PLNs). Here, we report that T(CM), unlike naive T cells, can home to PLNs in both a CCR7-dependent and -independent manner. Homing experiments in paucity of lymph node T cells (plt/plt) mice, which do not express CCR7 ligands in secondary lymphoid organs, revealed that T(CM) migrate to PLNs at approximately 20% of wild-type (WT) levels, whereas homing of naive T cells was reduced by 95%. Accordingly, a large fraction of endogenous CD8(+) T cells in plt/plt PLNs displayed a T(CM) phenotype. Intravital microscopy of plt/plt subiliac lymph nodes showed that T(CM) rolled and firmly adhered (sticking) in high endothelial venules (HEVs), whereas naive T cells were incapable of sticking. Sticking of T(CM) in plt/plt HEVs was pertussis toxin sensitive and was blocked by anti-CXCL12 (SDF-1alpha). Anti-CXCL12 also reduced homing of T(CM) to PLNs in WT animals by 20%, indicating a nonredundant role for this chemokine in the presence of physiologic CCR7 agonists. Together, these data distinguish naive T cells from T(CM), whereby only the latter display greater migratory flexibility by virtue of their increased responsiveness to both CCR7 ligands and CXCL12 during homing to PLN.

Clinical Nutrition in Critical Care Medicine - Guideline of the German Society for Nutritional Medicine (DGEM).

PURPOSE: Enteral and parenteral nutrition of adult critically ill patients varies in terms of the route of nutrient delivery, the amount and composition of macro- and micronutrients, and the choice of specific, immune-modulating substrates. Variations of clinical nutrition may affect clinical outcomes. The present guideline provides clinicians with updated consensus-based recommendations for clinical nutrition in adult critically ill patients who suffer from at least one acute organ dysfunction requiring specific drug therapy and/or a mechanical support device (e.g., mechanical ventilation) to maintain organ function. METHODS: The former guidelines of the German Society for Nutritional Medicine (DGEM) were updated according to the current instructions of the Association of the Scientific Medical Societies in Germany (AWMF) valid for a S2k-guideline. According to the S2k-guideline classification, no systematic review of the available evidence was required to make recommendations, which, therefore, do not state evidence- or recommendation grades. Nevertheless, we considered and commented the evidence from randomized-controlled trials, meta-analyses and observational studies with adequate sample size and high methodological quality (until May 2018) as well as from currently valid guidelines of other societies. The liability of each recommendation was described linguistically. Each recommendation was finally validated and consented through a Delphi process. RESULTS: In the introduction the guideline describes a) the pathophysiological consequences of critical illness possibly affecting metabolism and nutrition of critically ill patients, b) potential definitions for different disease phases during the course of illness, and c) methodological shortcomings of clinical trials on nutrition. Then, we make 69 consented recommendations for essential, practice-relevant elements of clinical nutrition in critically ill patients. Among others, recommendations include the assessment of nutrition status, the indication for clinical nutrition, the timing and route of nutrient delivery, and the amount and composition of substrates (macro- and micronutrients); furthermore, we discuss distinctive aspects of nutrition therapy in obese critically ill patients and those treated with extracorporeal support devices. CONCLUSION: The current guideline provides clinicians with up-to-date recommendations for enteral and parenteral nutrition of adult critically ill patients who suffer from at least one acute organ dysfunction requiring specific drug therapy and/or a mechanical support device (e.g., mechanical ventilation) to maintain organ function. The period of validity of the guideline is approximately fixed at five years (2018-2023).

Elevated Values of Clinically Relevant Transferases Induced by Imported Infectious Diseases: A Controlled Cross-Sectional Study of 14,559 Diseased German Travelers Returning from the Tropics and Subtropics.

The aim of this controlled cross-sectional study was to assess the clinical validity of elevated values of three clinically relevant transferase enzymes (aspartate transaminase [AST], alanine transaminase [ALT], and gamma-glutamyl transferase [GGT]) induced by imported infectious diseases (IDs) seen among patients consulting the Division of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, Medical Center of the University of Munich (from 1999 to 2014) after being in the sub-/tropics. Data sets of 14,559 diseased German travelers returning from Latin America (2,715), Africa (4,574), or Asia (7,270) and of 1,536 healthy controls of German origin without recent travels were analyzed. Among the cases, the proportions of those with elevated values of AST (7.8%) and of ALT (13.4%) were significantly larger than among controls (4.0% and 10.6%, respectively), whereas for GGT, no significant difference was found (cases: 10.0%; controls: 11.4%). The study identified IDs with significantly larger proportions of both AST and ALT (hepatitis A [100%/100%], cytomegalovirus [CMV] infection [77%/81%], chronic hepatitis C [67%/67%], infectious mononucleosis [65%/77%], typhoid fever [50%/50%], cyclosporiasis [45%/66%], dengue fever [43%/35%], malaria [20%/27%], and rickettsiosis [20%/24%]), of AST alone (paratyphoid fever [42%]), of ALT alone (giardiasis [20%]), and of GGT (hepatitis A [100%], infectious mononucleosis [71%], CMV infection [58%], rickettsiosis (20%], and dengue fever [19%]). The study demonstrates that the determination of AST and ALT among travelers returning from the sub-/tropics has a high clinical validity, as their elevated values are typically caused by several imported viral, bacterial, and protozoan IDs, whereas no additional clinical validity was found by the determination of GGT.

Cardiac index measurements during rapid preload changes: a comparison of pulmonary artery thermodilution with arterial pulse contour analysis.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To compare cardiac index (CI) values obtained by pulmonary artery thermodilution (CIPA), arterial thermodilution (CITD), and arterial pulse contour analysis (CIPC) during rapid fluid administration, as accurate and rapid detection of CI changes is critical during acute preload changes for guiding volume and vasopressor therapy in critically ill patients, and the accuracy of CIPC during acute changes in loading condition is currently unknown. DESIGN: Prospective clinical study. SETTING: Cardiac surgical intensive care unit of a university hospital. PATIENTS: Seventeen American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status II and III patients, aged 32 to 76 years, with normal left ventricular function during the early postoperative period after elective coronary artery bypass graft surgery. MEASUREMENTS: After baseline determinations of CIPA, CIPC, and CITD were made, fluid loading was performed using 10 mL times body mass index of hydroxyethyl starch 6%. CIPA, CIPC, and CITD were determined, and changes in CI (DeltaCI) were calculated. Fluid load was repeated until no increase in stroke volume index (DeltaSVI <10%) was achieved. MAIN RESULTS: Regression analysis between CIPA/CIPC, CIPA/CITD, and CIPC/CITD revealed r2 = 0.92, r2 = 0.92, and r2 = 0.98. Regression analysis between DeltaCIPA/DeltaCIPC, DeltaCIPA/DeltaCITD, and DeltaCIPC/DeltaCITD revealed r2 = 0.57, r2 = 0.67, and r2 = 0.74, respectively. Bland-Altman analysis was used to determine accuracy and precision of the 3 methods compared. The mean differences (m) and SD between DeltaCIPA/DeltaCIPC, DeltaCIPA/DeltaCITD, and DeltaCIPC/DeltaCITD resulted in m = -1.01%, SD = 6.51%; m = -0.83%, SD = 5.80%; and m = -0.33%, SD = 4.65%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Compared with pulmonary artery thermodilution, arterial pulse contour analysis reflects relative changes in CI during rapid changes of preload with clinically acceptable accuracy.

Gastric residual volume in critically ill patients: a dead marker or still alive?

Early enteral nutrition (EN) is consistently recommended as first-line nutrition therapy in critically ill patients since it favorably alters outcome, providing both nutrition and nonnutrition benefits. However, critically ill patients receiving mechanical ventilation are at risk for regurgitation, pulmonary aspiration, and eventually ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). EN may increase these risks when gastrointestinal (GI) dysfunction is present. Gastric residual volume (GRV) is considered a surrogate parameter of GI dysfunction during the progression of enteral feeding in the early phase of critical illness and beyond. By monitoring GRV, clinicians may detect patients with delayed gastric emptying earlier and intervene with strategies that minimize or prevent VAP as one of the major risks of EN. The value of periodic GRV measurements with regard to risk reduction of VAP incidence has frequently been questioned in the past years. Increasing the GRV threshold before interrupting gastric feeding results in marginal increases in EN delivery. More recently, a large randomized clinical trial revealed that abandoning GRV monitoring did not negatively affect clinical outcomes (including VAP) in mechanically ventilated patients. The results have revived the discussion on the role of GRV monitoring in critically ill, mechanically ventilated patients receiving early EN. This review summarizes the most recent clinical evidence on the use of GRV monitoring in critically ill patients. Based on the clinical evidence, it discusses the pros and cons and further addresses whether GRV is a dead marker or still alive for the nutrition management of critically ill patients.

Group A Streptococci: A rare and often misdiagnosed cause of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis in adults.

INTRODUCTION: Acute primary peritonitis due to group A Streptococci (GAS) is a rare but life-threatening infection. Unlike other forms of primary peritonitis it affects predominantly young previously healthy individuals and thus is often confused with the more frequent secondary peritonitis. A case series of three patients is presented as well as a review of the literature focusing on pitfalls in the diagnose and therapy of GAS peritonitis. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of three patients with primary GAS peritonitis was performed. Furthermore a systematic review of all cases of primary GAS peritonitis published from 1990 to 2013 was performed comparing demographics and clinical presentation, as well as radiological imaging, treatment and outcome. RESULTS: All three female patients presented initially with high fever, nausea and severe abdominal pain. Radiological imaging revealed intraperitoneal fluid collections of various degrees, but no underlying cause of peritonitis. Broad antibiotic treatment was started and surgical exploration was performed for acute abdomen in all three cases. Intraoperatively fibrinous peritonitis was observed, but the correct diagnosis was not made until microbiological analysis confirmed GAS peritonitis. One patient died within 24h after admission. The other two patients recovered after multiple surgeries and several weeks on the intensive care unit due to multiple organ dysfunction syndrome. The fulminant clinical course of the three patients resembled those of many of the published cases: flu-like symptoms, high fever, severe acute abdominal pain and fibrinous peritonitis without obvious infectious focus were the most common symptoms reported in the literature. CONCLUSION: GAS primary peritonitis should be considered in particular in young, previously healthy women who present with peritonitis but lack radiological findings of an infectious focus. The treatment of choice is immediate antibiotic therapy. Surgical intervention is difficult to avoid, since the diagnosis of GAS peritonitis is usually not confirmed until other causes of secondary peritonitis have been excluded.

Stroke volume variations for assessment of cardiac responsiveness to volume loading in mechanically ventilated patients after cardiac surgery.

OBJECTIVE: We hypothesized that measuring stroke volume variation (SVV) during mechanical ventilation by continuous arterial pulse contour analysis allows the accurate prediction and monitoring of changes in cardiac index (CI) in response to volume administration. DESIGN AND SETTING: Prospective study in an university hospital. PATIENTS: Twenty mechanically ventilated patients following cardiac surgery. INTERVENTIONS: Volume loading with oxypolygelatin (3.5%) 20 ml x body mass index over 10 min. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: SVV, central venous pressure (CVP), pulmonary artery occlusion pressure (PAOP), left ventricular end-diastolic area index (LVEDAI) by transesophageal echocardiography, intrathoracic blood volume index (ITBVI) by transpulmonary thermodilution and CI were determined immediately before and after volume loading. SVV decreased, while CI, CVP, PAOP, ITBVI, and LVEDAI increased significantly. Percentage changes in CI were significantly correlated to percentage changes in SVV (r(2)=-0.59, p<0.001), ITBVI (r(2)=0.79, p<0.001), and PAOP (r(2)=0.33, p<0.05) and to baseline values of SVV (r(2)=0.55, p<0.05) and LVEDAI (r(2)=-0.68, p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: SVV may help to determine the preload condition of ventilated patients following cardiac surgery and to predict and continuously monitor effects of volume administered as part of their hemodynamic management.

Comparison of pulmonary arterial thermodilution and arterial pulse contour analysis: evaluation of a new algorithm.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To compare cardiac index (CI) measurement by arterial pulse contour analysis using two different algorithms (CI(PC), CI(PCnew)) with pulmonary arterial thermodilution values (CI(PA)) so as to evaluate the difference between the conventional algorithm, CI(PC), and a new algorithm, CI(PCnew), that accounts for patients' individual aortic compliance. DESIGN: Prospective, clinical study. SETTING: Intensive care unit of a university hospital. PATIENTS: 20 ASA physical status II and III patients following elective cardiac surgery. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: 360 parallel triplicate determinations of CI (CI(PA), CI(PC), CI(PCnew)) were performed within a 90-minute period during the immediate postoperative period. Prior to the start of the study period, CI(PC) as well as CI(PCnew) were calibrated by triplicate femoral arterial thermodilution measurements. Regression analysis of CI(PA) and CI(PC), as well as CI(PA) and CI(PCnew), revealed r = 0.89, p < 0.001, and r = 0.93, p < 0.001, respectively. Bland-Altman analysis was used for determining the accuracy and precision of CI(PC) and CI(PCnew) compared with CI(PA). The mean differences (m) and standard deviation (SD) between CI(PA) and CI(PC,) as well as CI(PA) and CI(PCnew), resulted in m = -0.312 L/min/m(2), SD = 0.456 L/min/m(2), and m = - 0.140 L/min/m(2), SD = 0.328 L/min/m(2), respectively. CONCLUSION: Arterial pulse contour analysis measurement of CI using either algorithm correlates well with CI values derived by pulmonary arterial thermodilution. However, the algorithm introduced in this study proved to be a more accurate predictor of values as derived by pulmonary artery catheter.

Pragmatic approach to nutrition in the ICU: expert opinion regarding which calorie protein target.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Since the publications of the ESPEN guidelines on enteral and parenteral nutrition in ICU, numerous studies have added information to assist the nutritional management of critically ill patients regarding the recognition of the right population to feed, the energy-protein targeting, the route and the timing to start. METHODS: We reviewed and discussed the literature related to nutrition in the ICU from 2006 until October 2013. RESULTS: To identify safe, minimal and maximal amounts for the different nutrients and at the different stages of the acute illness is necessary. These amounts might be specific for different phases in the time course of the patient's illness. The best approach is to target the energy goal defined by indirect calorimetry. High protein intake (1.5 g/kg/d) is recommended during the early phase of the ICU stay, regardless of the simultaneous calorie intake. This recommendation can reduce catabolism. Later on, high protein intake remains recommended, likely combined with a sufficient amount of energy to avoid proteolysis. CONCLUSIONS: Pragmatic recommendations are proposed to practically optimize nutritional therapy based on recent publications. However, on some issues, there is insufficient evidence to make expert recommendations.