A Cost-Consequence Analysis of Nutritional Interventions Used in Hospital Settings for Older Adults with or at Risk of Malnutrition.

BACKGROUND: Malnutrition is a significant and prevalent issue in hospital settings, associated with increased morbidity and mortality, longer hospital stays, higher readmission rates, and greater healthcare costs. Despite the potential impact of nutritional interventions on patient outcomes, there is a paucity of research focusing on their economic evaluation in the hospital setting. This study aims to fill this gap by conducting a cost-consequence analysis (CCA) of nutritional interventions targeting malnutrition in the hospital setting. METHODS: We performed a CCA using data from recent systematic reviews and meta-analyses, focusing on older adult patients with or at risk of malnutrition in the hospital setting. The analysis included outcomes such as 30-day, 6-month, and 12-month mortality; 30-day and 6-month readmissions; hospital complications; length of stay; and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs). Sensitivity analyses were conducted to evaluate the impact of varying success rates in treating malnutrition and the proportions of malnourished patients seen by dietitians in SingHealth institutions. RESULTS: The CCA indicated that 28.15 DALYs were averted across three SingHealth institutions due to the successful treatment or prevention of malnutrition by dietitians from 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022, for an estimated 45,000 patients. The sensitivity analyses showed that the total DALYs averted ranged from 21.98 (53% success rate) to 40.03 (100% of malnourished patients seen by dietitians). The cost of implementing a complex nutritional intervention was USD 218.72 (USD 104.59, USD 478.40) per patient during hospitalization, with additional costs of USD 814.27 (USD 397.69, USD 1212.74) when the intervention was extended for three months post-discharge and USD 638.77 (USD 602.05, USD 1185.90) for concurrent therapy or exercise interventions. CONCLUSION: Nutritional interventions targeting malnutrition in hospital settings can have significant clinical and economic benefits. The CCA provides valuable insights into the costs and outcomes associated with these interventions, helping healthcare providers and policymakers to make informed decisions on resource allocation and intervention prioritization.

A Conceptual Study on Characterizing the Complexity of Nutritional Interventions for Malnourished Older Adults in Hospital Settings: An Umbrella Review Approach.

INTRODUCTION: Malnutrition is a widespread and intricate issue among hospitalized adults, necessitating a wide variety of nutritional strategies to address its root causes and repercussions. The primary objective of this study is to systematically categorize nutritional interventions into simple or complex, based on their resource allocation, strategies employed, and predictors of intervention complexity in the context of adult malnutrition in hospital settings. METHODS: A conceptual evaluation of 100 nutritional intervention studies for adult malnutrition was conducted based on data from a recent umbrella review (patient population of mean age > 60 years). The complexity of interventions was categorized using the Medical Research Council 2021 Framework for Complex Interventions. A logistic regression analysis was employed to recognize variables predicting the complexity of interventions. RESULTS: Interventions were divided into three principal categories: education and training (ET), exogenous nutrient provision (EN), and environment and services (ES). Most interventions (66%) addressed two or more of these areas. A majority of interventions were delivered in a hospital (n = 75) or a hospital-to-community setting (n = 25), with 64 studies being classified as complex interventions. The logistic regression analysis revealed three variables associated with intervention complexity: the number of strategies utilized, the targeted areas, and the involvement of healthcare professionals. Complex interventions were more likely to be tailored to individual needs and engage multiple healthcare providers. CONCLUSIONS: The study underlines the importance of considering intervention complexity in addressing adult malnutrition. Findings advocate for a comprehensive approach to characterizing and evaluating nutritional interventions in future research. Subsequent investigations should explore optimal balances between intervention complexity and resource allocation, and assess the effectiveness of complex interventions across various settings, while considering novel approaches like telehealth.

Behavioural strategies to reduce obesity among lower socio-economic adults living in high-income countries: a Grades of Recommendation, Assessment, Development and Evaluation-assessed systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.

Adult obesity disproportionately affects lower socio-economic groups in high-income countries and perpetuates health inequalities, imposing health and socio-economic burden. This review evaluates the effectiveness of behavioural strategies in reducing weight and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risks among low-income groups based in high-income countries. We searched major databases for randomised controlled trials published between 1 November 2011 and 1 May 2023. Meta-analyses and subgroup analyses were undertaken to analyse the pooled and individual effects of behavioural strategies. Cochrane Risk of bias (RoB 2·0) tool and Grades of Recommendation, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) criteria were used to assess the quality and certainty of evidence. Fourteen trials (3618 adults, aged 40·2 ± 9·7 years with BMI 33·6 ± 2·8 kg/m2) and nine unique interventions were identified. Three trials with high RoB were omitted. Meta-analysis favoured interventions, demonstrating significant reductions in body weight (MD: -1·56 kg, (95 % CI -2·09, -1·03)) and HbA1c (MD: -0·05 %, (95 % CI - 0·10, -0·001)) at intervention end. Sub-group analysis showed no differences in waist circumference, blood pressure or serum lipids. Financial incentives and interactive feedback produced greatest amounts of weight losses ≥ 2 kg (GRADE: moderate). Behavioural strategies are effective weight loss interventions among lower socio-economic groups living in high-income nations. However, the impact on CVD risk remains unclear.

An Umbrella Review and Meta-analysis of Interventions, Excluding Enteral and Parenteral Nutrition, Initiated in the Hospital for Adults with or at Risk of Malnutrition.

BACKGROUND: Multiple systematic reviews and meta-analyses (SRMAs) on various nutritional interventions in hospitalized patients with or at risk of malnutrition are available, but disagreements among findings raise questions about their validity in guiding practice. OBJECTIVES: We conducted an umbrella review (a systematic review of systematic reviews in which all appropriate studies included in SRMAs are combined) to assess the quality of reviews, identify the types of interventions available (excluding enteral and parenteral nutrition), and re-analyze the effectiveness of interventions. METHODS: The databases MEDLINE/PubMed, CINAHL, Embase, The Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar were searched. AMSTAR-2 was used for quality assessment and GRADE for certainty of evidence. Updated meta-analyses with risk of bias (ROB) by Cochrane ROB 2.0 were performed. Pooled effects were reported as relative risk (RR), with zero-events and publication bias adjustments, and trial sequential analysis (TSA) performed for mortality, readmissions, complications, length of stay, and quality of life. RESULTS: A total of 66 randomized controlled trials were cited by the 19 SRMAs included in this umbrella review, and their data extracted and analyzed. Most clinical outcomes were discordant with variable effect sizes in both directions. In trials with low ROB, interventions targeting nutritional intake reduce mortality at 30 d (15 studies, n: 4156, RR: 0.72, 95% CI: 0.55, 0.94, P: 0.02, I2: 6%, Certainty: High), 6 mo (27 studies, n: 6387, RR: 0.81, 95% CI: 0.71, 0.92, P = 0.001, I2: 4%, Certainty: Moderate), and 12 mo (27 studies, n: 6387, RR: 0.80, 95% CI: 0.67, 0.95, P: 0.01, I2: 33%, Certainty: Moderate), with TSA verifying an adequate sample size and robustness of the meta-analysis. CONCLUSION: Existing evidence is sufficient to show that nutritional intervention is effective for mortality outcomes at 30 d, 6 mo, and 12 mo. Future clinical trials should focus on the effect of nutritional interventions on other clinical outcomes. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: The protocol is registered on PROSPERO (CRD42022341031).

Macronutrient and micronutrient requirements and therapeutic effects in critically ill patients with SARS-CoV-2: A narrative review.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 can lead to critical illness and induce hypermetabolism, protein catabolism, and inflammation. These pathological processes may alter energy and protein requirements, and certain micronutrients may attenuate the associated detriments. This narrative review summarizes the macronutrient and micronutrient requirements and therapeutic effects in critically ill patients with SARS-CoV-2. METHODS: We searched four databases for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and studies that measured macronutrient and micronutrient requirements, published from February 2020 to September 2022. RESULTS: Ten articles reported on energy and protein requirements, and five articles reported the therapeutic effects of ω-3 (n = 1), group B vitamins (n = 1), and vitamin C (n = 3). Patients' resting energy expenditure gradually increased with time, measuring approximately 20 kcal/kg body weight (BW), 25 kcal/kg BW, and 30 kcal/kg BW for the first, second, and third week onwards, respectively. Patients remained in negative nitrogen balances in the first week, and a protein intake of ≥1.5 g/kg BW may be necessary to achieve nitrogen equilibrium. Preliminary evidence suggests that ω-3 fatty acids may protect against renal and respiratory impairments. The therapeutic effects of group B vitamins and vitamin C cannot be ascertained, although intravenous vitamin C appears promising in reducing mortality and inflammation. CONCLUSION: There are no RCTs to guide the optimal dose of energy and protein in critically ill patients with SARS-CoV-2. Additional larger-scale, well-designed RCTs are needed to elucidate the therapeutic effects of ω-3, group B vitamins, and vitamin C.

Effectiveness of dietary counseling with or without nutrition supplementation in hospitalized patients who are malnourished or at risk of malnutrition: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Nutrition support is associated with improved survival and nonelective hospital readmission rates among malnourished medical inpatients; however, limited evidence supporting dietary counseling is available. We intend to determine the effect of dietary counseling with or without oral nutrition supplementation (ONS), compared with standard care, on hospitalized adults who are malnourished or at risk of malnutrition. METHODS: We searched MEDLINE/PubMed, CINAHL, Embase, Scopus, The Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar for studies listed from January 1, 2011, to August 31, 2021. Meta-analysis was performed to obtain pooled risk ratios (RRs) and 95% CIs to estimate the effect. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) system was used to assess the certainty of the evidence. RESULTS: Sixteen studies were identified. Compared with standard care, dietary counseling with or without ONS probably does not reduce inpatient rates of 30-day mortality (RR = 1.24; 0.60-2.55; I2 = 45%; P = 0.56; moderate certainty), slightly reduces 6-month mortality (RR = 0.83; 0.69-1.00; I2 = 16%; P = 0.06; high certainty), reduces complications (RR = 0.85; 0.73-0.98; I2 = 0%; P = 0.03; high certainty), and may slightly reduce readmission (RR = 0.83; 0.66-1.03; I2 = 55%; P = 0.10; low certainty) but may not reduce length of stay (mean difference: -0.75 days; -1.66-0.17; I2 = 70%; P = 0.11; low certainty). Intervention may result in slight improvements in nutrition status/intake and weight/body mass index (low certainty). CONCLUSIONS: There is an increase in the certainty of evidence regarding the positive impact of dietary counseling on outcomes. Future studies should standardize and provide details/frequencies of counseling methods and ONS adherence to determine dietary counseling effectiveness.

An analysis of nonnutritive calories from propofol, dextrose, and citrate among patients who are critically ill that are receiving continuous renal replacement therapy.

BACKGROUND: Propofol, dextrose, and citrate infusions are necessary treatment modalities in the intensive care units (ICUs). They are, however, a potential source of nonnutritive calories (NNCs), which may cause overfeeding and adverse complications. The literature surrounding the role of NNCs is limited. We aimed to examine the energy contribution of NNCs. Our secondary aim is to assess the nutrition impact of NNCs, especially among patients receiving continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT). MATERIALS/METHODS: We enrolled 177 mechanically ventilated patients admitted to medical-surgical ICUs from August to December 2019. Patients were monitored over the first 7 days of admission. Infusion rates of enteral nutrition/parenteral nutrition and NNCs, as well as clinical characteristics, were examined. Patients receiving CRRT were compared with those without. RESULTS: In total, 24% of patients additional energy from citrate. Patients received a maximum of 331 kcal from citrate, 492 kcal from propofol, and 992 kcal from dextrose per ICU day. CRRT group achieved higher total energy on the first 2 days (day 1: 55.1% vs 46.4%, P = 0.008; day 2: 73.2% vs 55.4%, P = 0.025). They also received higher mean NNCs on all days, except for day 1 (P = 0.068). CONCLUSION: NNCs, especially citrate, are significant sources of energy. Patients receiving CRRT were more likely to be malnourished. There should be close monitoring and adaption of energy prescription accordingly to prevent overfeeding.