Prognostic capability of the Maximum Acute Gastrointestinal Injury Score and of caloric intake in patients requiring vasopressors: A multicenter prospective cohort study.

PURPOSE: Our main objective was to use the Maximum Acute Gastrointestinal Injury Score (AGImax) to evaluate the prognostic capability of gastrointestinal dysfunction (GID), on hospital mortality in patients on mechanical ventilation (MV) requiring vasopressors. A secondary goal was to analyze the relationship between AGImax and vasopressor dosage with increasing caloric intake. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Prospective multicenter cohort study in ten ICUs across Argentina. Consecutive adult patients on MV, requiring vasopressors and receiving enteral nutrition (EN) were included. AGImax was identified (I-IV) using a modified AGI score. Comparisons of clinical and outcome variables were performed in 3 predetermined EN-groups: <10 kcal/kg/d, ≥10 to <20 kcal/kg/d, or ≥ 20 kcal/kg/d. RESULTS: A total of 494 patients met all inclusion criteria. Forty-four percent of patients had severe AGImax and 17% received <10 kcal/kg/day, indicating more severity and higher mortality. Notable independent predictors of mortality were AGImax, vasopressors, and caloric intake. PN was the only factor which had an inverse relationship to mortality. CONCLUSIONS: In this population, patients with AGImax III-IV were significantly associated with lower caloric intake and greater hospital mortality, highlighting the importance of AGI as a prognostic tool. As PN was linked with lower mortality, it could be an option to explore in further studies.

Economic burden of hospital malnutrition and the cost-benefit of supplemental parenteral nutrition in critically ill patients in Latin America.

AIM: Disease-related malnutrition (DRM) is a prevalent condition that significantly increases the risk of adverse outcomes in hospitalized patients, particularly those with critical illness. Limited data is available on the economic burden of DRM and the cost-benefit of nutrition therapy in high-risk populations in Latin America. The aims of the present study were to estimate the economic burden of DRM and evaluate the cost-benefit of supplemental parenteral nutrition (SPN) in critically ill patients who fail to receive adequate nutrient intake from enteral nutrition (EN) in Latin America. METHODS: Country-specific cost and prevalence data from eight Latin American countries and clinical data from studies evaluating outcomes in patients with DRM were used to estimate the costs associated with DRM in public hospitals. A deterministic decision model based on clinical outcomes from a randomized controlled study and country-specific cost data were developed to examine the cost-benefit of administering SPN to critically ill adults who fail to reach ≥60% of the calculated energy target with EN. RESULTS: The estimated annual economic burden of DRM in public hospitals in Latin America is $10.19 billion (range, $8.44 billion-$11.72 billion). Critically ill patients account for a disproportionate share of the costs, with a 6.5-fold higher average cost per patient compared with those in the ward ($5488.35 vs. $839.76). Model-derived estimates for clinical outcomes and resource utilization showed that administration of SPN to critically ill patients who fail to receive the targeted energy delivery with EN would result in an annual cost reduction of $10.2 million compared with continued administration of EN alone. LIMITATIONS: The cost calculation was limited to the average daily cost of stay and antibiotic use. The costs associated with other common complications of DRM, such as prolonged duration of mechanical ventilation or more frequent readmission, are unknown. CONCLUSIONS: DRM imposes a substantial economic burden on Latin American countries, with critically ill patients accounting for a disproportionate share of costs. Cost-benefit analysis suggests that both improved clinical outcomes and significant cost savings can be achieved through the adoption of SPN as a therapeutic strategy in critically ill patients who fail to receive adequate nutrient intake from EN.

Prescribed hypocaloric nutrition support for critically-ill adults.

BACKGROUND: There are controversies about the amount of calories and the type of nutritional support that should be given to critically-ill people. Several authors advocate the potential benefits of hypocaloric nutrition support, but the evidence is inconclusive. OBJECTIVES: To assess the effects of prescribed hypocaloric nutrition support in comparison with standard nutrition support for critically-ill adults SEARCH METHODS: We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL, Cochrane Library), MEDLINE, Embase and LILACS (from inception to 20 June 2017) with a specific strategy for each database. We also assessed three websites, conference proceedings and reference lists, and contacted leaders in the field and the pharmaceutical industry for undetected/unpublished studies. There was no restriction by date, language or publication status. SELECTION CRITERIA: We included randomized and quasi-randomized controlled trials comparing hypocaloric nutrition support to normo- or hypercaloric nutrition support or no nutrition support (e.g. fasting) in adults hospitalized in intensive care units (ICUs). DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: We used standard methodological procedures expected by Cochrane. We meta-analysed data for comparisons in which clinical heterogeneity was low. We conducted prespecified subgroup and sensitivity analyses, and post hoc analyses, including meta-regression. Our primary outcomes were: mortality (death occurred during the ICU and hospital stay, or 28- to 30-day all-cause mortality); length of stay (days stayed in the ICU and in the hospital); and Infectious complications. Secondary outcomes included: length of mechanical ventilation. We assessed the quality of evidence with GRADE. MAIN RESULTS: We identified 15 trials, with a total of 3129 ICU participants from university-associated hospitals in the USA, Colombia, Saudi Arabia, Canada, Greece, Germany and Iran. There are two ongoing studies. Participants suffered from medical and surgical conditions, with a variety of inclusion criteria. Four studies used parenteral nutrition and nine studies used only enteral nutrition; it was unclear whether the remaining two used parenteral nutrition. Most of them could not achieve the proposed caloric targets, resulting in small differences in the administered calories between intervention and control groups. Most studies were funded by the US government or non-governmental associations, but three studies received funding from industry. Five studies did not specify their funding sources.The included studies suffered from important clinical and statistical heterogeneity. This heterogeneity did not allow us to report pooled estimates of the primary and secondary outcomes, so we have described them narratively.When comparing hypocaloric nutrition support with a control nutrition support, for hospital mortality (9 studies, 1775 participants), the risk ratios ranged from 0.23 to 5.54; for ICU mortality (4 studies, 1291 participants) the risk ratios ranged from 0.81 to 5.54, and for mortality at 30 days (7 studies, 2611 participants) the risk ratios ranged from 0.79 to 3.00. Most of these estimates included the null value. The quality of the evidence was very low due to unclear or high risk of bias, inconsistency and imprecision.Participants who received hypocaloric nutrition support compared to control nutrition support had a range of mean hospital lengths of stay of 15.70 days lower to 10.70 days higher (10 studies, 1677 participants), a range of mean ICU lengths of stay 11.00 days lower to 5.40 days higher (11 studies, 2942 participants) and a range of mean lengths of mechanical ventilation of 13.20 days lower to 8.36 days higher (12 studies, 3000 participants). The quality of the evidence for this outcome was very low due to unclear or high risk of bias in most studies, inconsistency and imprecision.The risk ratios for infectious complications (10 studies, 2804 participants) of each individual study ranged from 0.54 to 2.54. The quality of the evidence for this outcome was very low due to unclear or high risk of bias, inconsistency and imprecisionWe were not able to explain the causes of the observed heterogeneity using subgroup and sensitivity analyses or meta-regression. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: The included studies had substantial clinical heterogeneity. We found very low-quality evidence about the effects of prescribed hypocaloric nutrition support on mortality in hospital, in the ICU and at 30 days, as well as in length of hospital and ICU stay, infectious complications and the length of mechanical ventilation. For these outcomes there is uncertainty about the effects of prescribed hypocaloric nutrition, since the range of estimates includes both appreciable benefits and harms.Given these limitations, results must be interpreted with caution in the clinical field, considering the unclear balance of the risks and harms of this intervention. Future research addressing the clinical heterogeneity of participants and interventions, study limitations and sample size could clarify the effects of this intervention.

Current clinical nutrition practices in critically ill patients in Latin America: a multinational observational study.

BACKGROUND: Malnutrition in critically ill adults in the intensive care unit (ICU) is associated with a significantly elevated risk of mortality. Adequate nutrition therapy is crucial to optimise outcomes. Currently, there is a paucity of such data in Latin America. Our aims were to characterise current clinical nutrition practices in the ICU setting in Latin America and evaluate whether current practices meet caloric and protein requirements in critically ill patients receiving nutrition therapy. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional, retrospective, observational study in eight Latin American countries (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama, and Peru). Eligible patients were critically ill adults hospitalised in the ICU and receiving enteral nutrition (EN) and/or parenteral nutrition (PN) on the Screening Day and the previous day (day -1). Caloric and protein balance on day -1, nutritional status, and prescribed nutrition therapy were recorded. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to identify independent predictors of reaching daily caloric and protein targets. RESULTS: The analysis included 1053 patients from 116 hospitals. Evaluation of nutritional status showed that 74.1% of patients had suspected/moderate or severe malnutrition according to the Subjective Global Assessment. Prescribed nutrition therapy included EN alone (79.9%), PN alone (9.4%), and EN + PN (10.7%). Caloric intake met >90% of the daily target in 59.7% of patients on day -1; a caloric deficit was present in 40.3%, with a mean (±SD) daily caloric deficit of -688.8 ± 455.2 kcal. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that combined administration of EN + PN was associated with a statistically significant increase in the probability of meeting >90% of daily caloric and protein targets compared with EN alone (odds ratio, 1.56; 95% confidence interval, 1.02-2.39; p = 0.038). CONCLUSIONS: In the ICU setting in Latin America, malnutrition was highly prevalent and caloric intake failed to meet targeted energy delivery in 40% of critically ill adults receiving nutrition therapy. Supplemental administration of PN was associated with improved energy and protein delivery; however, PN use was low. Collectively, these findings suggest an opportunity for more effective utilisation of supplemental PN in critically ill adults who fail to receive adequate nutrition from EN alone.

Health insurance or subsidy has universal advantage for management of hospital malnutrition unrelated to GDP.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Protein-energy and micronutrient malnutrition are global public health problems which, when not prevented and severe, require medical management by clinicians with nutrition expertise, preferably as a collectively skilled team, especially when disease-related. This study aimed to investigate barriers and facilitators of clinical nutrition services (CNS), especially the use of oral, enteral (EN) and parenteral (PN) nutrition in institutional and home settings. METHODS AND STUDY DESIGN: An international survey was performed between January and December 2014 in twenty-six countries from all continents. Electronic questionnaires were distributed to 28 representatives of clinical nutrition (PEN) societies, 27 of whom responded. The questionnaire comprised questions regarding a country's economy, reimbursement for CNS, education about and the use of EN and PN. RESULTS: The prevalence of malnutrition was not related to gross domestic product (GDP) at purchasing power parity (PPP) per capita (p=0.186). EN and PN were used in all countries surveyed (100%), but to different extents. Reimbursement of neither EN nor PN use depended on GDP, but was associated with increased use of EN and PN in hospitals (p=0.035), although not evident for home or chronic care facilities. The size of GDP did not affect the use of EN (p=0.256), but it mattered for PN (p=0.019). CONCLUSIONS: A worldwide survey by nutrition support societies did not find a link between national economic performance and the implementation of medical nutrition services. Reimbursement for CNS, available through health insurance systems, is a factor in effective nutrition management.

Hospital malnutrition in Latin America: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Disease-related malnutrition is a major public health issue in both industrialised and emerging countries. The reported prevalence in hospitalised adults ranges from 20% to 50%. Initial reports from emerging countries suggested a higher prevalence compared with other regions, with limited data on outcomes and costs. METHODS: We performed a systematic literature search for articles on disease-related malnutrition in Latin American countries published between January 1995 and September 2014. Studies reporting data on the prevalence, clinical outcomes, or economic costs of malnutrition in an adult (≥18 years) inpatient population with a sample size of ≥30 subjects were eligible for inclusion. Methodological quality of the studies was assessed by two independent reviewers using published criteria. RESULTS: We identified 1467 citations; of these, 66 studies including 29 ,474 patients in 12 Latin American countries met the criteria for inclusion. There was considerable variability in methodology and in the reported prevalence of disease-related malnutrition; however, prevalence was consistently in the range of 40%-60% at the time of admission, with several studies reporting an increase in prevalence with increasing duration of hospitalisation. Disease-related malnutrition was associated with an increase in infectious and non-infectious clinical complications, length of hospital stay, and costs. CONCLUSION: Disease-related malnutrition is a highly prevalent condition that imposes a substantial health and economic burden on the countries of Latin America. Further research is necessary to characterise screening/assessment practices and identify evidence-based solutions to this persistent and costly public health issue.

Prevalence of hospital malnutrition in Argentina: preliminary results of a population-based study.

OBJECTIVE: We investigated the prevalence of malnutrition in a sample of hospitalized patients in Argentina. METHODS: A random population-based sample of 1000 inpatients in 38 hospitals in 17 cities of Argentina was selected and studied with the Subjective Global Assessment (physical examination plus questionnaire). RESULTS: Forty-seven percent of the participants were identified as having some degree of malnourishment, one-fourth of which was considered severe. Older males, especially those with cancer or infections, were at highest risk. Nutritional information was incorporated into the patients' charts in only 38.8% of cases, and fewer than 15% had records of usual or current weight and height. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggested that malnutrition among hospital inpatients in Argentina is common and that the patients' nutrition status is largely unrecognized and neglected in their hospital charts.

Agreement analysis of variables involved in lipodystrophy syndrome definition in HIV-infected patients.

BACKGROUND: Lipodystrophy studies in HIV-infected patients have usually defined abnormalities in body fat by clinical evaluation and patient questionnaires. Despite the risk for bias with these subjective approaches, agreement analysis among the large number of variables employed was seldom performed. OBJECTIVE: To analyze consistency between the usual approaches for definition of abnormalities in body fat distribution. DESIGN: We evaluated agreement between the clinical and questionnaire findings for abnormalities in body fat in an HIV patient population under antiretroviral treatment followed in our institution, using different criteria for definitions of body fat abnormalities within the same data set. METHODS: Kappa analysis for consistency and receiver-operator characteristic (ROC) curve analysis were performed. RESULTS: Low levels of agreement between clinical and patient perspectives were observed. Only one combination of criteria showed adequate agreement results. The waist/hip ratio showed low levels of agreement with all other variables, and no clear discriminative point was observed by ROC curve analysis. The ratio between the trunk fat content and the leg fat content assessed by dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scan demonstrated better agreement and more clear discriminative values for both male and female patients. CONCLUSION: Agreement analyses may help in the selection of the subjective variable methodology and in the inclusion of consistent and nonredundant objective measurements for diagnosis of abnormalities in body fat.

Colocación de sondas transpilóricas a ciegas en pacientes críticos / Placement to transpyloric catheters to blind in critical patients

La alimentación enteral precoz tendría ciertos efectos beneficiosos en pacientes severamente injuriados, pero estos pacientes suelen tener gastroparesia (retardo de la evacuación gástrica) que dificulta o imposibilita la alimenación enteral en el estómago y obliga a colocar una sonda transpilórica, mediante ayuda endoscópica o radioscópica o con alguna técnica "a ciegas". Objetivo: evaluar la eficacia de una técnica para colocar sondas transpilóricas y el rol que cumplen en el éxito o fracaso de la técnica la situación clínica y varios procedimientos terapéuticos, reconocidos como factores que alteran la evacuación gastrica. Durante un periodo de 14 meses se realizaron 167 procedimientos para colocar sondas transpilóricas, en pacientes internados en terapia intensiva...

Colocación de sondas transpilóricas a ciegas en pacientes críticos / Placement to transpyloric catheters to blind in critical patients

La alimentación enteral precoz tendría ciertos efectos beneficiosos en pacientes severamente injuriados, pero estos pacientes suelen tener gastroparesia (retardo de la evacuación gástrica) que dificulta o imposibilita la alimenación enteral en el estómago y obliga a colocar una sonda transpilórica, mediante ayuda endoscópica o radioscópica o con alguna técnica "a ciegas". Objetivo: evaluar la eficacia de una técnica para colocar sondas transpilóricas y el rol que cumplen en el éxito o fracaso de la técnica la situación clínica y varios procedimientos terapéuticos, reconocidos como factores que alteran la evacuación gastrica. Durante un periodo de 14 meses se realizaron 167 procedimientos para colocar sondas transpilóricas, en pacientes internados en terapia intensiva...(AU)