Relationship between nutritional therapy and beneficial bacteria ratio in severe disease

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate relationship between changes in the beneficial bacteria in intensive care unit (ICU) patients and nutritional therapy type. Methods: Ten patients aged ≥18 years admitted to the ICU between January and December 2020, were included. Good enteral nutrition was defined as early achievement of target calorie intake through enteral feeding. The ratio of beneficial bacteria at the first and second bowel movements after each patient's admission was calculated and the patients were classified into the increase or decrease group. Among all patients, five each were in the increase and decrease groups. We investigated patient background, changes in sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) and acute physiology and chronic health evaluation (APACHE) II scores, nutritional doses or methods, and clinical outcomes. Results: No relationship was found between changes in the ratio of beneficial bacteria and changes in SOFA/APACHE II scores at the time of admission. The rate of good enteral nutrition was significantly higher in the increase group than in the decrease group (4/5 vs. 0/5, P=0.01). Conclusions: An increase in beneficial bacteria may be significantly related to the early establishment of enteral nutrition. In the future, accumulating cases may make it possible to establish a new nutritional strategy for critically ill patients from an intestinal microbiota perspective.