COVID-19 infection in patients on long-term home parenteral nutrition for chronic intestinal failure.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: To investigate the incidence and the severity of COVID-19 infection in patients enrolled in the database for home parenteral nutrition (HPN) for chronic intestinal failure (CIF) of the European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (ESPEN). METHODS: Period of observation: March 1st, 2020 March 1st, 2021. INCLUSION CRITERIA: patients included in the database since 2015 and still receiving HPN on March 1st, 2020 as well as new patients included in the database during the period of observation. Data related to the previous 12 months and recorded on March 1st 2021: 1) occurrence of COVID-19 infection since the beginning of the pandemic (yes, no, unknown); 2) infection severity (asymptomatic; mild, no-hospitalization; moderate, hospitalization no-ICU; severe, hospitalization in ICU); 3) vaccinated against COVID-19 (yes, no, unknown); 4) patient outcome on March 1st 2021: still on HPN, weaned off HPN, deceased, lost to follow up. RESULTS: Sixty-eight centres from 23 countries included 4680 patients. Data on COVID-19 were available for 55.1% of patients. The cumulative incidence of infection was 9.6% in the total group and ranged from 0% to 21.9% in the cohorts of individual countries. Infection severity was reported as: asymptomatic 26.7%, mild 32.0%, moderate 36.0%, severe 5.3%. Vaccination status was unknown in 62.0% of patients, non-vaccinated 25.2%, vaccinated 12.8%. Patient outcome was reported as: still on HPN 78.6%, weaned off HPN 10.6%, deceased 9.7%, lost to follow up 1.1%. A higher incidence of infection (p = 0.04), greater severity of infection (p < 0.001) and a lower vaccination percentage (p = 0.01) were observed in deceased patients. In COVID-19 infected patients, deaths due to infection accounted for 42.8% of total deaths. CONCLUSIONS: In patients on HPN for CIF, the incidence of COVID-19 infection differed greatly among countries. Although the majority of cases were reported to be asymptomatic or have mild symptoms only, COVID-19 was reported to be fatal in a significant proportion of infected patients. Lack of vaccination was associated with a higher risk of death.

Covid-19 Infection In Patients On Long-Term Home Parenteral Nutrition For Chronic Intestinal Failure☆

Background and aims To investigate the incidence and the severity of COVID-19 infection in patients enrolled in the database for home parenteral nutrition (HPN) for chronic intestinal failure (CIF) of the European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (ESPEN). Methods Period of observation: March 1st, 2020 March 1st, 2021. Inclusion criteria: patients included in the database since 2015 and still receiving HPN on March 1st, 2020 as well as new patients included in the database during the period of observation. Data related to the previous 12 months and recorded on March 1st 2021: 1) occurrence of COVID-19 infection since the beginning of the pandemic (yes, no, unknown);2) infection severity (asymptomatic;mild, no-hospitalization;moderate, hospitalization no-ICU;severe, hospitalization in ICU);3) vaccinated against COVID-19 (yes, no, unknown);4) patient outcome on March 1st 2021: still on HPN, weaned off HPN, deceased, lost to follow up. Results Sixty-eight centres from 23 countries included 4,680 patients. Data on COVID-19 were available for 55.1% of patients. The cumulative incidence of infection was 9.6% in the total group and ranged from 0% to 21.9% in the cohorts of individual countries. Infection severity was reported as: asymptomatic 26.7%, mild 32.0%, moderate 36.0%, severe 5.3%. Vaccination status was unknown in 62.0% of patients, non-vaccinated 25.2%, vaccinated 12.8%. Patient outcome was reported as: still on HPN 78.6%, weaned off HPN 10.6%, deceased 9.7%, lost to follow up 1.1%. A higher incidence of infection (p=0.04), greater severity of infection (p<0.001) and a lower vaccination percentage (p=0.01) were observed in deceased patients. In COVID-19 infected patients, deaths due to infection accounted for 42.8% of total deaths. Conclusions In patients on HPN for CIF, the incidence of COVID-19 infection differed greatly among countries. Although the majority of cases were reported to be asymptomatic or have mild symptoms only, COVID-19 was reported to be fatal in a significant proportion of infected patients. Lack of vaccination was associated with a higher risk of death.

Impact of COVID-19 in nutritional and functional status of survivors admitted in intensive care units during the first outbreak. Preliminary results of the NUTRICOVID study.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: COVID-19 patients present a high hospitalization rate with a high mortality risk for those requiring intensive care. When these patients have other comorbid conditions and older age, the risk for severe disease and poor outcomes after ICU admission are increased. The present work aims to describe the preliminary results of the ongoing NUTRICOVID study about the nutritional and functional status and the quality of life of adult COVID-19 survivors after ICU discharge, emphasizing the in-hospital and discharge situation of this population. METHODS: A multicenter, ambispective, observational cohort study was conducted in 16 public hospitals of the Community of Madrid with COVID-19 survivors who were admitted to the ICU during the first outbreak. Preliminary results of this study include data retrospectively collected. Malnutrition and sarcopenia were screened at discharge using MUST and SARC-F; the use of healthcare resources was measured as the length of hospital stay and requirement of respiratory support and tracheostomy during hospitalization; other study variables were the need for medical nutrition therapy (MNT); and patients' functional status (Barthel index) and health-related quality of life (EQ-5D-5L). RESULTS: A total of 176 patients were included in this preliminary analysis. Most patients were male and older than 60 years, who suffered an average (SD) weight loss of 16.6% (8.3%) during the hospital stay, with a median length of stay of 53 (27-89.5) days and a median ICU stay of 24.5 (11-43.5) days. At discharge, 83.5% and 86.9% of the patients were at risk of malnutrition and sarcopenia, respectively, but only 38% were prescribed MNT. In addition, more than 70% of patients had significant impairment of their mobility and to conduct their usual activities at hospital discharge. CONCLUSIONS: This preliminary analysis evidences the high nutritional and functional impairment of COVID-19 survivors at hospital discharge and highlights the need for guidelines and systematic protocols, together with appropriate rehabilitation programs, to optimize the nutritional management of these patients after discharge.

COVID-19: Lessons on malnutrition, nutritional care and public health from the ESPEN-WHO Europe call for papers.

With prolonged pandemic conditions, and emerging evidence but persisting low awareness of the importance of nutritional derangements, ESPEN has promoted in close collaboration with World Health Organization-Europe a call for papers on all aspects relating COVID-19 and nutrition as well as nutritional care, in the Society Journals Clinical Nutrition and Clinical Nutrition ESPEN. Although more COVID-related papers are being submitted and continue to be evaluated, ESPEN and WHO present the current editorial to summarize the many published findings supporting major interactions between nutritional status and COVID-19. These include 1) high risk of developing the disease and high risk of severe disease in the presence of pre-existing undernutrition (malnutrition) including micronutrient deficiencies; 2) high risk of developing malnutrition during the course of COVID-19, with substantial impact on long-term sequelae and risk of long COVID; 3) persons with obesity are also prone to develop or worsen malnutrition and its negative consequences during the course of COVID-19; 4) malnutrition screening and implementation of nutritional care may improve disease outcomes; 5) social and public health determinants contribute to the interaction between nutritional status and COVID-19, including negative impact of lockdown and social limitations on nutrition quality and nutritional status. We believe the evidence supports the need to consider COVID-19 as (also) a case of malnutrition-enhanced disease and disease-related malnutrition, with added risk for persons both with and without obesity. Similarities with many other disease conditions further support recommendations to implement standard nutritional screening and care in COVID-19 patients, and they underscore the relevance of appropriate nutritional and lifestyle prevention policies to limit infection risk and mitigate the negative health impact of acute pandemic bouts.

Nutritional management of individuals with obesity and COVID-19: ESPEN expert statements and practical guidance.

The COVID-19 pandemics has created unprecedented challenges and threats to patients and healthcare systems worldwide. Acute respiratory complications that require intensive care unit (ICU) management are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in COVID-19 patients. Among other important risk factors for severe COVID-19 outcomes, obesity has emerged along with undernutrition-malnutrition as a strong predictor of disease risk and severity. Obesity-related excessive body fat may lead to respiratory, metabolic and immune derangements potentially favoring the onset of COVID-19 complications. In addition, patients with obesity may be at risk for loss of skeletal muscle mass, reflecting a state of hidden malnutrition with a strong negative health impact in all clinical settings. Also importantly, obesity is commonly associated with micronutrient deficiencies that directly influence immune function and infection risk. Finally, the pandemic-related lockdown, deleterious lifestyle changes and other numerous psychosocial consequences may worsen eating behaviors, sedentarity, body weight regulation, ultimately leading to further increments of obesity-associated metabolic complications with loss of skeletal muscle mass and higher non-communicable disease risk. Therefore, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies should be routinely included in the management of COVID-19 patients in the presence of obesity; lockdown-induced health risks should also be specifically monitored and prevented in this population. In the current document, the European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (ESPEN) aims at providing clinical practice guidance for nutritional management of COVID-19 patients with obesity in various clinical settings.

Considerations for the management of home parenteral nutrition during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: A position paper from the Home Artificial Nutrition and Chronic Intestinal Failure Special Interest Group of ESPEN.

The management of patients with chronic intestinal failure requiring home parenteral nutrition has been and will continue to be impaired during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Multidisciplinary intestinal failure teams may have to adapt their clinical approaches to home care, outpatient care as well as hospital admission and discharge in order to keep this vulnerable group of patients as safe and well as possible during the unprecedented challenges that countries are facing during the pandemic. Equally, it is important that expert advice from intestinal failure teams is available when home parenteral nutrition (HPN)-dependent patients require admission with SARS-CoV-2 infection. The Home Artificial Nutrition & Chronic Intestinal Failure Special Interest Group of the European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (ESPEN) has developed a position paper to outline areas for intestinal failure teams to consider when managing patients with chronic intestinal failure during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.