The Refeeding Syndrome revisited: you can only diagnose what you know.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The Refeeding Syndrome (RFS) is a serious complication in patients receiving nutrition support after a period of severe malnutrition. We frequently recognize and diagnose the RFS due to increased awareness. Thus, we observe that many physicians do not know the RFS and that it is rarely diagnosed. The aim of the study was to determine whether physicians in Germany know the RFS. SUBJECTS/METHODS: A questionnaire with a case vignette about an older person who developed the RFS after initiation of nutritional therapy was submitted to German physicians and fifth year medical students, who were participants of educational lectures. RESULTS: Of the 281 participants who answered the respective question, 40 participants (14%) correctly diagnosed the RFS of the case vignette and 21 participants (8%) gave nearly correct answers. Indeed, the majority of the participants did not diagnose the RFS. CONCLUSIONS: Although the RFS may lead to fatal complications, it is unknown to the majority of the queried physicians. Therefore, there is a call to implement the RFS in respective curricula and increase systematic education on this topic.