Specialized Nutrition Support Research Articles

Home Initiation of Parenteral Nutrition

Parenteral nutrition (PN) has been successfully initiated in the home since the early 1990s. The American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (A.S.P.E.N.) Standards for Specialized Nutrition Support: Home Care Patients, Safe Practices for Parenteral Nutrition, and Guidelines for the Use of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition in Adult and Pediatric Patients do not contain specific information on the initiation of home PN (HPN). Peer-reviewed, published guidelines are necessary to provide safe and appropriate initiation of HPN. Certain patients should not have PN initiated in the home, such as those with organ failure, uncontrolled diabetes, or uncorrectable electrolyte abnormalities. Excellent candidates for initiation of HPN include patients who have failed enteral feedings, have gastrointestinal (GI) diseases without excessive GI losses, or those with an oncology diagnosis and inability to tube feed. One concern of initiation of HPN is the potential for refeeding syndrome. Refeeding syndrome can be prevented when patients are properly evaluated and managed before initiation of PN. Refeeding syndrome can be avoided by rehydration with fluid and electrolytes before initiation of HPN to normalize blood chemistry when necessary and by starting with a moderate-volume, low-carbohydrate HPN solution compounded with optimal potassium, phosphorus, and magnesium content, and slowly advanced to goal. The "start low and go slow" motto of nutrition support should continue to be followed, but more specific guidelines are needed to assist nutrition support clinicians with safe and appropriate initiation of HPN.

The History of Nonsurgical Enteral Tube Feeding Access

Specialized nutrition support, particularly enteral feeding, has been used for centuries. Technologic advancements have affected the provision of enteral feeding. Feeding solutions and devices, as well as the techniques to place the feeding devices, have evolved. This article reviews the history of bedside placement methods for short-term enteral access devices.

Nutrition Support Pharmacist

Nutrition Support Pharmacist features issues pertinent to the practice of clinical pharmacy in the area of nutritional support. The column is edited by Dr. Roland Dickerson, Professor of Pharmacy, University of Tennessee Health Science Center; Memphis, TN. Address correspondence to Dr. Roland N. Dickerson, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, 26 South Dunlap St., Memphis, TN 38163. This article provides a summary of our approach to the management of acute hypocalcemia in critically ill patients receiving specialized nutrition support. It must be pointed out that there are other alternative effective approaches to managing this complication. Additionally, there are exceptions to the outlined treatment guidelines that the astute clinical must be able to identify. However, this approach will provide a sound foundation upon which to build your practice in the management of these difficult patients.

Postsurgical Infections are Reduced with Specialized Nutrition Support

The objective was to examine the relationship between pre-, peri-, and postoperative specialized nutritional support with immune-modulating nutrients and postoperative morbidity in patients undergoing elective surgery. Studies were identified by searching MEDLINE, review article bibliographies, and abstracts and proceedings of scientific meetings. All randomized clinical trials in which patients were supplemented by the IMPACT formula before and/or after elective surgery and the clinical outcomes reported were included in the meta-analysis. Seventeen studies (n=2,305), 14 published (n=2,102), and 3 unpublished (n=203), fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Ten studies (n=1,392) examined the efficacy of pre- or perioperative IMPACT supplementation in patients undergoing elective surgery, whereas 7 (n=913) assessed postoperative efficacy. Fourteen of the studies (n=2,083) involved gastrointestinal (GI) surgical patients. Postoperative complications, mortality, and length of stay in hospital (LOS) were major outcomes of interest. IMPACT supplementation, in general, was associated with significant (39%-61%) reductions in postoperative infectious complications and a significant decrease in LOS in hospital by an average of 2 days. The greatest improvement in postoperative outcomes was observed in patients receiving specialized nutrition support as part of their preoperative treatment. In GI surgical patients, anastomotic leaks were 46% less prevalent when IMPACT supplementation was part of the preoperative treatment. This study identifies a dosage (0.5-1 l/day) and duration (supplementation for 5-7 days before surgery) of IMPACT that contributes to improved outcomes of morbidity in elective surgery patients, particularly those undergoing GI surgical procedures. The cost effectiveness of such practice is supported by recent health economic analysis. Findings suggest preoperative IMPACT use for the prophylaxis of postoperative complications in elective surgical patients.

A New Graduated Dosing Regimen for Phosphorus Replacement in Patients Receiving Nutrition Support

Hypophosphatemia is a common metabolic complication in patients receiving specialized nutrition support. We changed our previously reported dosing algorithm because the low dose no longer appeared to be effective at increasing serum phosphorus concentrations. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of a revised weight-based phosphorus-dosing algorithm in critically ill trauma patients receiving specialized nutrition support. Seventy-nine adult trauma patients with hypophosphatemia (serum phosphorus concentration < or = 0.96 mmol/L) receiving nutrition support received an IV dose of phosphorus on day 1 according to the serum concentration of phosphorus: 0.73-0.96 mmol/L (0.32 mmol/kg, low dose), 0.51-0.72 mmol/L (0.64 mmol/kg, moderate dose), and < or = 0.5 mmol/L (1 mmol/kg, high dose). The IV phosphorus bolus dose was administered at 7.5 mmol/hour. Generally, patients with a serum potassium concentration <4 mmol/L received potassium phosphate and patients with a serum potassium concentration > or = 4 mmol/L received sodium phosphate. Patients who still had hypophosphatemia on day 2 were dosed using the new dosing algorithm by the nutrition support service according to that day's serum concentration of phosphorus, or empirically by the trauma service. Of the 79 patients studied, 57 were male and 22 were female with a mean age of 44.8 +/- 20.6 years. Mean Injury Severity Scores and APACHE-II scores were 27.1 +/- 11.6 and 15.2 +/- 6.8, respectively. There was no difference in baseline characteristics among the 3 dosing groups. Of the 79 patients, 34 received the low dose, 30 received the moderate dose, and 15 received the high dose of phosphorous. Mean serum phosphorous concentrations on day 2 were significantly increased in the moderate-dosed group (0.64 +/- 0.06 to 0.77 +/- 0.22 mmol/L, p < .05) and high-dosed group (0.38 +/- 0.06 to 0.93 +/- 0.32 mmol/L, p < .01), respectively, when compared with day 1. Mean serum phosphorus concentrations were normal in all 3 groups on day 3. Serum concentrations of magnesium, sodium, and potassium, as well as arterial pH, were stable across the study. Mean concentrations of ionized calcium were not significantly different in any of the 3 dosing groups across the study period. This weight-based phosphorus-dosing algorithm is safe for use in critically ill patients receiving nutrition support. The moderate and severe-dose regimens effectively increase serum phosphorus concentrations.

Guidelines for Management of Home Parenteral Support in Adult Chronic Intestinal Failure Patients

Management of home parenteral support in adult benign but chronic intestinal failure patients requires a nutrition support team using disease-specific pathways. Education of patients to ensure they self manage home parenteral nutrition (HPN) is cornerstone to obtain minimal rate of technical complications and improvement in quality of life. Nutritive mixtures, compounded by pharmacists in single "all-in-one" bags, must be tailored according to the nutritional and intestinal status of individual patients with definition of macronutrients and water-electrolyte needs, respectively. Each PN cycle should be complete in essential nutrients to be nutritionally efficient and should have sufficient amounts of amino acids, dextrose, water, minerals, and micronutrients to avoid deficiency. When the nutritional goal is achieved, a minimum number of PN cycles per week should be implemented, guided ideally by digestive balance(s) (In-Out) of macronutrients and minerals of individual patients. Indeed, HPN is, in most cases, a complementary nonexclusive mode of nutritional support. In short gut patients--who represent 75% of chronic intestinal failure patients--encouraging enteral feeding decrease PN delivery and the risk of metabolic liver disease associated with HPN. In short gut patients with no severe renal impairment, blood citrulline dosage, in association with the remnant anatomy, is a tool to delineate transient from permanent intestinal failure. The latter group includes candidates for trophic gut factors and rehabilitative or reconstructive surgery, including intestinal transplantation. Thus, outcome improvement for intestinal failure patients needs intestinal failure teams having expertise in all medical and surgical aspects of this field.

Nutrition Support Teams: An Evidence‐Based Practice

With the development of specialized nutrition support, an interdisciplinary approach was essential to translating this medical breakthrough from the laboratory to the bedside. As this new innovation was adopted, interdisciplinary nutrition support teams were created to optimize the effectiveness and safety of this therapy. The impact of standardization and the use of an interdisciplinary team to provide specialized nutrition support have been shown to improve outcomes and safety and to have a positive financial impact on healthcare institutions. Yet many hospitals do not have nutrition support teams, and the numbers that do may have decreased. To be effective, nutrition support teams need to practice at an evidence-based level and measure their performance. Nutrition support teams include many of the components of the healthcare delivery system that are advocated for the future, and nutrition support teams should be encouraged as the preferred system of providing specialized nutrition support.

Standards for Specialized Nutrition Support for Adult Residents of Long‐Term Care Facilities

American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition Board of Directors and Task Force onStandards for Specialized Nutrition Support for Adult Residents of Long Term Care Facilities:Sharon M. Durfee, RPh, BCNSP*; Charlette Gallagher-Allred, PhD, RD†;Jack A. Pasquale, MD§; and Joyce Stechmiller, ARNP, PhD‡

Chronic liver failure

Summary Liver disease is rare in childhood, but new means of diagnosis and therapy, including transplantation, have altered its natural history and outcome. It is important that paediatricians are aware of these diseases and their management. Chronic liver failure may be caused by unresolved neonatal liver disease, either inherited biliary hypoplasia or extrahepatic biliary atresia, whereas in older children, autoimmune liver disease, cystic fibrosis and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (fatty liver disease) are the most common causes. Treatment includes specific medication, nutritional support and liver transplantation, which now has a 90% survival with a good quality of life. Children with significant liver disease should be managed by shared care between a regional and a specialist centre.

Improving Safety and Reducing Harm Associated With Specialized Nutrition Support

Improving Safety and Reducing Harm Associated With Specialized Nutrition Support

Evaluation of an Artificial Neural Network to Predict Urea Nitrogen Appearance for Critically Ill Multiple‐Trauma Patients

Computer-based simulated biologic neural network models have made significant strides in clinical medicine. To determine the predictive performance of a conventional regression model and an artificial neural network for estimating urea nitrogen appearance (UNA) during critical illness, 125 adult patients admitted to the trauma intensive care unit who required specialized nutrition support were studied. The first 100 consecutive patients were used to develop the 2 models. The first model used stepwise multivariate regression analysis. The second model entailed the use of a feeding-forward, back-propagation, supervised neural network. Bias and precision of both methods were evaluated in 25 separate patients. Multivariate regression analysis revealed a significant highly correlative relationship (r(2) = .918, p < or = .01): Predicted UNA (g/d) = (0.29 x WT) + (1.20 x WBC) + (0.44 x SUN) with WT as current body weight in kg, WBC as white blood cell count in cells/mm(3), and SUN as serum urea nitrogen concentration (mg/dL). The regression method was biased toward overestimating measured UNA, whereas the neural network was unbiased. Precision (95% confidence interval) of the neural network was significantly better than the regression (3.3-7.2 g vs 7.3-11.6 g, respectively, p < .01). Regression analysis successfully predicted UNA within 3 g of measured UNA in 16% (4 of 25) of patients, whereas the neural network successfully predicted UNA in 44% (11 out of 25) of patients (p < .06). These preliminary data indicate that use of an artificial neural network may be superior to conventional regression modeling techniques for estimating UNA in critically ill adult multiple-trauma patients receiving specialized nutrition support.

Treatment of Acute Hypocalcemia in Critically Ill Multiple‐Trauma Patients

Recent data indicate that critically ill, adult multiple trauma patients receiving specialized nutrition support commonly experience hypocalcemia (ionized serum calcium [iCa] < or =1.12 mmol/L). However, validated methods for the treatment of acute hypocalcemia are lacking. The efficacy of a single dose of calcium gluconate using an empiric IV calcium gluconate graduated dosing regimen was evaluated in 37 patients. Patients with an iCa of 1-1.12 mmol/L (mild hypocalcemia) were provided 1-2 g of IV calcium gluconate. Patients with an iCa of <1 mmol/L (moderate to severe hypocalcemia) were given 2-4 g. The calcium gluconate was infused at a rate of 1 g/h in a small-volume admixture. Serum iCa determination was repeated on the following day. One to 2 g of IV calcium gluconate was effective in normalizing iCa for 23 out of 29 patients (79%) with mild hypocalcemia and 2-4 g was effective for 3 of 8 patients (38%) with moderate to severe hypocalcemia. The individual response to calcium therapy (g/d) or when normalized to body weight (mg/kg/d) was highly variable. One to 2 g of IV calcium gluconate were effective for most patients with mild hypocalcemia; however, treatment of moderate to severe hypocalcemia with 2-4 g of IV calcium gluconate was often unsuccessful. Further study with frequent serial ionized serum calcium and phosphorus determinations and electrocardiographic monitoring appears to be indicated for patients with moderate to severe hypocalcemia.

Standards for Specialized Nutrition Support: Home Care Patients

Standards for Specialized Nutrition Support: Home Care Patients

Graft‐vs‐Host Disease: Nutrition Therapy in a Challenging Condition

Graft-vs-host disease (GVHD) is a major complication after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Both acute and chronic forms of GVHD are challenging to manage medically and nutritionally. Patients with advanced GVHD commonly become depleted nutritionally, with loss of lean body mass (LBM) and functional status. We present 2 case reports of patients who developed GVHD and subsequent nutrition decline. Although both patients were candidates for specialized nutrition support (SNS), only 1 was able to receive enteral and parenteral nutrition due to GVHD complications preventing access for provision of SNS. Fortunately, the patients have remained in remission from their hematologic malignancy, but they continue to cope with chronic GVHD and its consequences. These cases exhibit the complexity of managing a patient with extensive GVHD and nutrition interventions for clinicians to consider to optimize outcomes.

Nutritional care of the obese intensive care unit patient

This review discusses the unique metabolic changes in critically ill obese patients and the challenges in estimating and providing them with nutritional support while in the intensive care unit. It provides some of the scientific data in support of and against hypocaloric, high-protein nutritional support in critically ill obese patients. The growing prevalence of obesity worldwide and particularly in the developed countries has resulted in concerns regarding the implementation of effective and specialized nutritional support for critically ill obese patients. The concerns arise from the limited data regarding the obese individual's response to various metabolic stresses, especially trauma and burns. There is continuous debate about the most appropriate method of calculating the critically ill obese patient's basic energy and calorie needs. Nutritional support of the critically ill obese represents a unique challenge but early administration of protein followed by carbohydrates and finally lipids can result in net protein anabolism and better glycemic control.

The Efficacy of an Enteral Access Protocol for Feeding Trauma Patients

Proper enteral access to deliver specialized nutrition support in critically injured patients can be difficult, time consuming, and costly. We designed a protocol with interdisciplinary input to facilitate early enteral access in our trauma patients. Our primary objective was to determine if the protocol improved our ability to obtain small-bowel access in patients within 48 hours of their admission to the surgical intensive care unit (SICU). Secondary objectives were to examine the efficacy of the protocol by evaluating parenteral nutrition (PN) use, adequacy of enteral caloric delivery, and clinical outcomes including pneumonia and sepsis rates, SICU length of stay (LOS), hospital LOS, and mortality before and after its implementation. The medical records of 51 trauma patients admitted to the SICU, who met inclusion criteria, were reviewed retrospectively and divided into 2 groups. Patients in group 1 were admitted before protocol implementation (1997-1998, n = 17). Patients in group 2 were admitted after protocol implementation (1998-2000, n = 34). Small-bowel access was achieved earlier in group 2 compared with group 1 [2.2 +/- 2 days vs 5.4 +/- 8 days, respectively (p = .04)]. PN was used less frequently in group 2 at 41.2% (14/34) as opposed to 64.7% (11/17) in group 1 (p = .05). There was a reduction in the number of days to reach caloric goal from 4.9 days in group 1 to 3.9 days in group 2 (n.s.). Clinical outcomes were similar in both groups. The use of a protocol was effective in the achievement of prompt small bowel access. The number of days to reach caloric goal decreased after protocol implementation, but not to a statistically significant degree. However, we were able to detect a significant reduction in the use of PN.

Hypocaloric feeding of obese patients in the intensive care unit

Given the increased awareness of the detrimental complications of overfeeding, particularly hyperglycemia, the safety and efficacy of specialized nutritional support for the critically ill obese patient is of major concern. The intent of this review is to provide the scientific foundation, supporting and conflicting literature, for the implementation of hypocaloric, high-protein specialized nutritional support for acutely ill, hospitalized patients with obesity. Similar anabolic equivalencies can be achieved with hypocaloric, high-protein nutritional support compared with a more traditional higher calorie, lower protein regimen. The provision of additional calories worsens hyperglycemia, results in a further accumulation of fat mass, and increases the potential for overfeeding without significant net protein anabolism gain. The current literature indicates that hypocaloric, high-protein enteral or parenteral nutrition is promising as the standard of practice for the metabolic support of the critically ill obese patient. The achievement of net protein anabolism and the avoidance of overfeeding complications are the primary goals, with fat weight loss a welcome secondary benefit.

Standards for Specialized Nutrition Support: Hospitalized Pediatric Patients

Standards for Specialized Nutrition Support: Hospitalized Pediatric Patients

Improving Outcomes With Specialized Nutrition Support

Improving Outcomes With Specialized Nutrition Support

Specialized Nutrition Support in the Hospitalized Obese Patient

The rising prevalence of obesity in the United States has resulted in concerns regarding the implementation of safe and effective specialized nutrition support in hospitalized obese patients. This review discusses complications associated with the provision of specialized nutrition support for obese patients and emphasizes the scientific basis for and against the provision of hypocaloric, high-protein parenteral and enteral nutrition support. Because there is a paucity of data concerning enteral nutrition support, some practical aspects of implementing hypocaloric high-protein enteral nutrition are also given.