Ethical Aspects of Artificially Administered Nutrition and Hydration: An ASPEN Position Paper.

The American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (ASPEN) Position Paper focus is on applying the 4 ethical principles for clinician's decision-making in the use of artificially administered nutrition and hydration (AANH) for adult and pediatric patients. These basic principles are (1) autonomy, respect the patient's healthcare preferences; (2) beneficence, provide healthcare in the best interest of the patient; (3) nonmaleficence, do no harm; and (4) justice, provide all individuals a fair and appropriate distribution of healthcare resources. Preventing and resolving ethical dilemmas is addressed, with an emphasis on a collaborative, interdisciplinary approach. Optimizing early communication and promoting advance care planning, involving completion of an advance directive, including designation of a surrogate decision-maker, are encouraged. Clinicians achieve respect for autonomy when they incorporate the patient, family, community, country, geographical, and presumed cultural values and religious belief considerations into ethical decision-making for adults and children with a shared decision-making process. These discussions should be guided by the 4 ethical principles. Hospital committees and teams, limited-time trials, clinician obligation with conflicts, and forgoing of AANH are addressed. Specific patient conditions are addressed because of the concern for potential ethical issues: coma, decreased consciousness, and dementia; advanced dementia; cancer; eating disorders; and end-stage disease/terminal illness. Incorporated in the Position Paper are ethical decisions during a pandemic and a legal summary involving ethical issues. International authors presented the similarities and differences within their own country or region and compared them with the US perspective.

Recomendaciones nutricionales para la atención de personas con infección por COVID-19 / Nutritional recommendations for taking care of infected people with COVID-19

Resumen El día 11 de marzo de 2020 la Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS) declaró la enfermedad causada por el virus SARS-Cov2, COVID-19, como pandemia. La misma tiene distintas formas de presentación desde ser asintomática a formas leves atendidas en domicilio o internación para confinamiento, hasta formas complicadas en salas de clínica o requiriendo cuidados intensivos. La obesidad (especialmente, IMC>40 kg/m2) toma relevancia en esta enfermedad siendo un predictor independiente fuerte de hospitalización y agravamiento, después de la edad. Otras comorbilidades como la hipertensión arterial, diabetes y otras enfermedades cardiovasculares son también importantes en este contexto. El siguiente artículo de revisión intenta evaluar y resumir las distintas recomendaciones de atención nutricional publicadas, tanto por sociedades científicas como equipos de profesionales de instituciones sanitarias de diferentes países de la región y el mundo, así como dentro de nuestro país. El proceso de implementación del plan nutricional debe abarcar no sólo a aquellas personas hospitalizadas sino también a aquellos sujetos infectados con formas leves. El plan de atención nutricional debe estar integrado por cuatro etapas: evaluación del estado nutricional, diagnóstico nutricional, intervención y monitoreo/evaluación de los resultados, con especial atención en el cuidado del paciente en sala de cuidados intensivos. No habiendo recomendaciones espe- cíficas hasta la fecha, se sugiere adecuar las recomendaciones actuales para atención de adultos mayores, pacientes polimórbidos internados y pacientes críticos. La atención de estos grupos por profesionales de la nutrición se hace imperante para adecuar la alimentación a la sintomatología y estado de cada paciente en particular. Además, es fundamente el monitoreo al alta, dando puntual seguimiento a la recuperación y rehabilitación del estado nutricional, especialmente de la masa muscular que pudo haberse deteriorado durante la internación.

Abstract On March 11th, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the disease caused by the SARS- Cov2 virus, COVID-19, as a pandemic. The presentation can range from being asymptomatic or mild home care stages or isolation, to complicated forms in clinic rooms or requiring intensive care units. Obesity (especially, BMI >40 kg / m2) is relevant in this disease, being a strong independent predictor of hospitalization and aggravation, following age. Other comorbidities such as high blood pressure, diabetes and other cardiovascular diseases are also important in this context. The following article aims at evaluating and summarizing the different nutritional care recommendations published both by scientific societies and professionals from health institutions in different countries of the region and the world, as well as within our country. The implementation process of the nutritional plan must include not only those hospitalized, but also the people infected with mild forms. The nutritional care process must include four stages: nutritional status assessment, nutritional diagnosis, intervention and monitoring / evaluation of the results, with special attention to patients in the intensive care units. As there are no specific recommendations to date, it is suggested to adapt the current recommendations for the care of the elderly, hospitalized polymorbid patients and critically ill patients. The attention of these groups by nutrition professionals is imperative to adapt the diet to the symptoms and condition of each individual patient. In addition, discharge monitoring is essential, giving timely follow-up to recovery and rehabilitation of the nutritional status, especially of the muscle mass that may have deteriorated during hospitalization.

Influence of parenteral nutrition delivery system on the development of bloodstream infections in critically ill patients: an international, multicenter, prospective, open-label, controlled study--EPICOS study.

BACKGROUND: Parenteral nutrition (PN) is associated with an increased risk of developing bloodstream infections (BSIs) but the impact of the PN delivery system upon BSI rates remains unclear. This was an international, multicenter, prospective, randomized, open-label, controlled trial that investigated the differences of BSIs associated with 2 different PN systems. METHODS: Patients were randomly allocated in a 2:1:1 ratio to receive either PN delivered by a multichamber bag (MCB group), or by compounded PN made with olive oil (COM1 group) or with MCT/LCT (COM2 group). Blood cultures were performed to evaluate the incidence of BSIs, and catheter use data was collected to calculate CLAB and central venous catheter device use ratio (CVC-DUR). Secondary outcomes included the development of severe sepsis/septic shock, number of intensive care unit (ICU) and hospital days, and all-cause mortality at Day 28. RESULTS: 406 patients were included: 202 in the MCB group, 103 in the COM1 group, and 101 in the COM2 group. Baseline characteristics were well balanced between the 3 groups, BSIs were significantly higher in patients receiving compounded PN (46 BSIs for COM1+COM2 vs 34 BSIs for MCB; p = 0.03).CLAB was higher in patients receiving compounded PN (13.2 for COM1+COM2 vs 10.3 for MCB; p < 0.0001). No differences were observed for the secondary outcomes. CONCLUSION: Compounded PN was associated with a higher incidence of BSIs and CLABs, suggesting that the use of MCB PN may play a role in reducing the incidence of BSIs in patients who receive PN. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT00798681.

Necrólisis epidérmica tóxica: síndrome de Lyell / Toxic epidermal necrolysis (Syndrome of Lyell)

Se presenta una paciente de 29 años con necrólisis epidermica tóxica (NET), con grave compromiso de su estado general que evolucionó con síndrome de dificultad respiratoria del adulto, por lo que requirió ARM. Tiene un compromiso de superficie corporal total mayor al 75 por ciento y de varias mucosas. Se le dieron cuidados generales como si se tratara de un paciente con quemaduras graves. Fue alimentado por vía enteral con formula enriquecida con glutamina, arginina, ácidos nucléicos y aminoácidos de cadena ramificada y nutrición parenteral. Presentó una buena evolución.

Necrólisis epidérmica tóxica: síndrome de Lyell / Toxic epidermal necrolysis (Syndrome of Lyell)

Se presenta una paciente de 29 años con necrólisis epidermica tóxica (NET), con grave compromiso de su estado general que evolucionó con síndrome de dificultad respiratoria del adulto, por lo que requirió ARM. Tiene un compromiso de superficie corporal total mayor al 75 por ciento y de varias mucosas. Se le dieron cuidados generales como si se tratara de un paciente con quemaduras graves. Fue alimentado por vía enteral con formula enriquecida con glutamina, arginina, ácidos nucléicos y aminoácidos de cadena ramificada y nutrición parenteral. Presentó una buena evolución. (AU)