Long-stay ICU patients with frailty: mortality and recovery outcomes at 6 months.

BACKGROUND: Prolonged intensive care unit (ICU) stay is associated with physical, cognitive, and psychological disabilities. The impact of baseline frailty on long-stay ICU patients remains uncertain. This study aims to investigate how baseline frailty influences mortality and post-ICU disability 6 months after critical illness in long-stay ICU patients. METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study, we assessed patients hospitalized for ≥ 7 days in the ICU between May 2018 and May 2021, following them for up to 6 months or until death. Based on the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) at ICU admissions, patients were categorized as frail (CFS ≥ 5), pre-frail (CFS 3-4) and non-frail (CFS 1-2). Kaplan-Meier curves and a multivariate Cox model were used to examine the association between frailty and mortality. At the 6 month follow-up, we assessed psychological, physical, cognitive outcomes, and health-related quality of life (QoL) using descriptive statistics and linear regressions. RESULTS: We enrolled 531 patients, of which 178 (33.6%) were frail, 200 (37.6%) pre-frail and 153 (28.8%) non-frail. Frail patients were older, had more comorbidities, and greater disease severity at ICU admission. At 6 months, frail patients presented higher mortality rates than pre-frail and non-frail patients (34.3% (61/178) vs. 21% (42/200) vs. 13.1% (20/153) respectively, p < 0.01). The rate of withdrawing or withholding of care did not differ significantly between the groups. Compared with CFS 1-2, the adjusted hazard ratios of death at 6 months were 1.7 (95% CI 0.9-2.9) for CFS 3-4 and 2.9 (95% CI 1.7-4.9) for CFS ≥ 5. At 6 months, 192 patients were seen at a follow-up consultation. In multivariate linear regressions, CFS ≥ 5 was associated with poorer physical health-related QoL, but not with poorer mental health-related QoL, compared with CFS 1-2. CONCLUSION: Frailty is associated with increased mortality and poorer physical health-related QoL in long-stay ICU patients at 6 months. The admission CFS can help inform patients and families about the complexities of survivorship during a prolonged ICU stay.

Association of Trace Element Levels with Outcomes in Critically Ill COVID-19 Patients.

The primary objective of this study was to compare the plasma levels of copper, selenium, and zinc between critically ill COVID-19 patients and less severe COVID-19 patients. The secondary objective was to investigate the association of these trace element levels with adverse outcomes, including the duration of mechanical ventilation, occurrence of septic shock, and mortality in critically ill COVID-19 patients. All COVID-19 patients admitted to the ICU of the Geneva University Hospitals between 9 March 2020 and 19 May 2020 were included in the study. Plasma levels of copper, selenium and zinc were measured on admission to the ICU and compared with levels measured in COVID-19 patients hospitalized on the ward and in non-hospitalized COVID-19 patients. To analyze the association of trace elements with clinical outcomes, multivariate linear and logistic regressions were performed. Patients in the ICU had significantly lower levels of selenium and zinc and higher levels of copper compared to COVID-19 patients hospitalized on the ward and in non-hospitalized COVID-19 patients. In ICU patients, lower zinc levels tended to be associated with more septic shock and increased mortality compared to those with higher zinc levels (p = 0.07 for both). Having lower copper or selenium levels was associated with a longer time under mechanical ventilation (p = 0.01 and 0.04, respectively). These associations remained significant in multivariate analyses (p = 0.03 for copper and p = 0.04 for selenium). These data support the need for interventional studies to assess the potential benefit of zinc, copper and selenium supplementation in severe COVID-19 patients.

Thoracic epidural analgesia in intensive care unit patients with acute pancreatitis: the EPIPAN multicenter randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Findings from preclinical studies and one pilot clinical trial suggest potential benefits of epidural analgesia in acute pancreatitis. We aimed to assess the efficacy of thoracic epidural analgesia, in addition to usual care, in improving clinical outcomes of intensive care unit patients with acute pancreatitis. METHODS: A multicenter, open-label, randomized, controlled trial including adult patients with a clinical diagnosis of acute pancreatitis upon admission to the intensive care unit. Participants were randomly assigned (1:1) to a strategy combining thoracic epidural analgesia and usual care (intervention group) or a strategy of usual care alone (control group). The primary outcome was the number of ventilator-free days from randomization until day 30. RESULTS: Between June 2014 and January 2019, 148 patients were enrolled, and 135 patients were included in the intention-to-treat analysis, with 65 patients randomly assigned to the intervention group and 70 to the control group. The number of ventilator-free days did not differ significantly between the intervention and control groups (median [interquartile range], 30 days [15-30] and 30 days [18-30], respectively; median absolute difference of - 0.0 days, 95% CI - 3.3 to 3.3; p = 0.59). Epidural analgesia was significantly associated with longer duration of invasive ventilation (median [interquartile range], 14 days [5-28] versus 6 days [2-13], p = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: In a population of intensive care unit adults with acute pancreatitis and low requirement for intubation, this first multicenter randomized trial did not show the hypothesized benefit of epidural analgesia in addition to usual care. Safety of epidural analgesia in this setting requires further investigation. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov registration number NCT02126332 , April 30, 2014.

The central and biodynamic role of gut microbiota in critically ill patients.

Gut microbiota plays an essential role in health and disease. It is constantly evolving and in permanent communication with its host. The gut microbiota is increasingly seen as an organ, and its failure, reflected by dysbiosis, is seen as an organ failure associated with poor outcomes. Critically ill patients may have an altered gut microbiota, namely dysbiosis, with a severe reduction in "health-promoting" commensal intestinal bacteria (such as Firmicutes or Bacteroidetes) and an increase in potentially pathogenic bacteria (e.g. Proteobacteria). Many factors that occur in critically ill patients favour dysbiosis, such as medications or changes in nutrition patterns. Dysbiosis leads to several important effects, including changes in gut integrity and in the production of metabolites such as short-chain fatty acids and trimethylamine N-oxide. There is increasing evidence that gut microbiota and its alteration interact with other organs, highlighting the concept of the gut-organ axis. Thus, dysbiosis will affect other organs and could have an impact on the progression of critical diseases. Current knowledge is only a small part of what remains to be discovered. The precise role and contribution of the gut microbiota and its interactions with various organs is an intense and challenging research area that offers exciting opportunities for disease prevention, management and therapy, particularly in critical care where multi-organ failure is often the focus. This narrative review provides an overview of the normal composition of the gut microbiota, its functions, the mechanisms leading to dysbiosis, its consequences in an intensive care setting, and highlights the concept of the gut-organ axis.

Hypophosphatemia on ICU Admission Is Associated with an Increased Length of Stay in the ICU and Time under Mechanical Ventilation.

Hypophosphatemia is frequently observed in the ICU and is associated with several impairments such as respiratory failure or infections. We hypothesized that hypophosphatemia on ICU admission is associated with a prolonged duration of mechanical ventilation and ICU length of stay (LOS), particularly in COVID-19 patients. This cross-sectional study analyzed data from 1226 patients hospitalized in the ICU of the Geneva University Hospitals from August 2020 to April 2021. Patients were categorized as having hypophosphatemia (phosphatemia ≤ 0.8 mmol/L) or non-hypophosphatemia (phosphatemia > 0.8 mmol/L) on ICU admission. Linear regressions were performed to investigate the association between hypophosphatemia on ICU admission and ICU LOS and duration of mechanical ventilation. Overall, 250 (20%) patients presented hypophosphatemia on ICU admission. In the univariable analysis, hypophosphatemic patients had longer ICU LOS than non-hypophosphatemic patients, 7.4 days (±10.4) versus 5.6 days (±8.3), (p < 0.01). Hypophosphatemia on ICU admission was associated with a prolonged duration of mechanical ventilation, 7.4 days (±11.2) versus 5.6 days (±8.9), (p < 0.01). These associations were confirmed in the multivariable analysis (p < 0.01). In the subgroup of COVID-19 patients, a significant association between hypophosphatemia and ICU LOS and duration of mechanical ventilation was also observed. In conclusion, hypophosphatemia on ICU admission is associated with a longer ICU LOS and time under mechanical ventilation, both in the general ICU population and in COVID-19 patients.

Impact of nutritional therapy during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in intensive care patients: A retrospective observational study.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: The COVID-19 pandemic has caused major organizational challenges to healthcare systems concerning staff, material and bed availability. Nutrition was not a priority in the intensive care unit (ICU) at the beginning of the pandemic with the need for simplified protocols. We aimed to assess the impact of a simplified nutritional protocol for critically ill COVID-19 patients during the pandemic first wave. METHODS: We included all patients with SARS-CoV-2 infections, admitted to the ICU of the Geneva University Hospitals for at least 4 days from March 9 to May 19, 2020. Data on the route and solution of nutritional therapy, prescribed and received volume, calorie and protein intake, amount of insulin, propofol and glucose administered were collected daily during the entire ICU stay. We compared nutritional outcomes between patients admitted to the ICU before and after implementing the simplified nutritional protocol using unpaired t-test. RESULTS: Out of 119 patients, 48 were hospitalized in the ICU before, 47 across and 24 after the implementation of the nutritional protocol. The mean age was 63.2 (±12.7) years and 76% were men without significant difference between before and after group. The nutritional protocol implementation led to an increase in caloric intake (1070 vs. 1357 kcal/day, p = 0.018) and in the percentage of days within 80-100% of the energy target (11 vs. 20%, p = 0.021). The protein debt decreased significantly from 48 g/day to 37 g/day (p = 0.015). No significant difference in the percentage of days within the protein target (80-100%) was observed. CONCLUSIONS: Calorie and protein coverage improved after the implementation of the simplified nutritional protocol in critically ill COVID-19 patients. Further studies are needed to assess the impact of such an approach on patients' clinical outcomes.

Usability study of a new tool for nutritional and glycemic management in adult intensive care: Glucosafe 2.

The new decision support tool Glucosafe 2 (GS2) is based on a mathematical model of glucose and insulin dynamics, designed to assist caregivers in blood glucose control and nutrition. This study aims to assess end-user acceptance and usability of this bedside decision support tool in an adult intensive care setting. Caregivers were first trained and then invited to trial GS2 prototype on bedside computers. Data for qualitative analysis were collected through semi-structured interviews from twenty users after minimum three trial days. Most caregivers (70%) rated GS2 as convenient and believed it would help improving adherence to current guidelines (85%). Moreover, most nurses (80%) believed that GS2 would be timesaving. Nurses' risk perceptions and manual data entry emerged as central barriers to use GS2 in routine practice. Issues emerged from the caregivers were compiled into a list of 12 modifications of the GS2 prototype to increase end-user acceptance and usability. This usability study showed that GS2 was considered by ICU caregivers as helpful in daily clinical practice, allowing time-saving and better standardization of ICU patient's care. Important issues were raised by the users with implications for the development and deployment of GS2. Integrating the technology into existing IT infrastructure may facilitate caregivers' acceptance. Further clinical studies of the performance and potential health outcomes are warranted.

Easy-to-prescribe nutrition support in the intensive care in the era of COVID-19.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: COVID-19 pandemic had resulted in a massive increase in the number of patients admitted to intensive care units (ICUs). This created significant organizational challenges including numerous non-specialist ICU caregivers who came to work in the ICU. In this context, pragmatic protocols were essential to simplify nutritional care. We aimed at providing a simple and easy-to-prescribe nutritional protocol and evaluated its usefulness with questionnaires sent to physicians involved in the care of ICU COVID-19 patients. METHODS: A simplified nutrition protocol was distributed to all physicians (n = 122) of the ICU medical team during COVID-19 pandemic. Clinical dieticians estimated energy targets for acute and post-acute phases at patient's admission and suggested adaptations of nutrition therapy. More complex situations were discussed with clinical nutrition doctors and, if required, a clinical evaluation was performed. To further facilitate the procedure, a chart with prescription aids was also distributed to the whole medical ICU team. At the end of the current pandemic wave, a 13-item questionnaire was emailed to the ICU medical team to obtain their opinion on the suggested nutritional therapy. RESULTS: Answers were received from 81/122 medical doctors (MDs) (66% response rate), from intensive care physicians (41%), anaesthesiologists (53%) and MDs from other specialties (6%). Thirty-two percent of MDs felt that their knowledge of nutrition management was insufficient and 45% of the physicians surveyed did not face nutrition management in their daily practice prior to the pandemic. The initially proposed nutritional protocol, the chart with prescription aids and the suggested nutritional proposals were considered as useful to very useful by the majority of physicians surveyed (89.9, 90.7 and 92.1% respectively). The protocol was followed by 92% of MDs, and almost all participants (95%) were convinced that adaptations of nutritional therapy had beneficial effects on patients' outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Nutritional therapy in critically ill COVID-19 patients is a challenge and the implementation of this specific pandemic simplified nutritional protocol was assessed as useful by a great majority of physicians. Pragmatic and simplified protocols are useful for ensuring the quality of nutritional therapy and could be used in future studies to assess its actual impact on the clinical outcomes of COVID-19 patients.

The clinical evaluation of the new indirect calorimeter developed by the ICALIC project.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: The ICALIC project was initiated for developing an accurate, reliable and user friendly indirect calorimeter (IC) and aimed at evaluating its ease of use and the feasibility of the EE measurements in intensive care unit (ICU). METHODS: This was a prospective unblinded, observational, multi-center study. Simultaneous IC measurements in mechanically ventilated ICU patients were performed using the new IC (Q-NRG®) and currently used devices. Time required to obtain EE was recorded to evaluate the ease of use of Q-NRG® versus currently used ICs and EE measurements were compared. Conventional descriptive statistics were used: data as mean ± SD. RESULTS: Six centers out of nine completed the required number of patients for the primary analysis. Mean differences in the time needed by Q-NRG® against currently used ICs were -32.3 ± 2.5 min in Geneva (vs. Deltatrac®; p < 0.01), -32.3 ± 3.1 in Lausanne (vs. Quark RMR®; p < 0.05), -33.7 ± 1.4 in Brussels (vs. V-Max Encore®; p < 0.05), -26.4 ± 7.8 in Tel Aviv (vs. Deltatrac®; p < 0.05), -28.5 ± 3.5 in Vienna (vs. Deltatrac®; p < 0.05), and 0.3 ± 1.2 in Chiba (vs. E-COVX®; p = 0.17). EE (kcal/day) measurements by the Q-NRG® were similar to the Deltatrac® in Geneva and Vienna (mean differences±SD: -63.1 ± 157.8 (p = 0.462) and -22.9 ± 328.2 (=0.650)), but significantly different in Tel Aviv (307.4 ± 324.5, p < 0.001). Significant differences were observed in Lausanne (Quark RMR®: -224.4 ± 514.9, p = 0.038) and in Brussels (V-max®: -449.6 ± 667.4, p < 0.001), but none was found in Chiba (E-COVX®; 55.0 ± 204.1, p = 0.165). CONCLUSION: The Q-NRG® required a much shorter time than most other ICs to determine EE in mechanically ventilated ICU patients. The Q-NRG® is the only commercially available IC tested against mass spectrometry to ensure gas accuracy, while being very easy-to use.

In vitro validation of indirect calorimetry device developed for the ICALIC project against mass spectrometry.

RATIONALE: Accurate evaluation of the energy needs is required to optimize nutrition support of critically ill patients. Recent evaluations of indirect calorimeters revealed significant differences among the devices available on the market. A new indirect calorimeter (Q-NRG®, Cosmed, Roma, Italy) has been developed by a group of investigators supporting the international calorimetry study initiative (ICALIC) to achieve ultimate accuracy for measuring energy expenditure while being easy to use, and affordable. This study aims to validate the precision and the accuracy of the Q-NRG® in the in-vitro setting, within the clinically relevant range for adults on mechanical ventilation in the ICU. Mass spectrometry is the reference method for the gas composition analysis to evaluate the analytic performances of the Q-NRG®. METHODS: The accuracy and precision of the O2 and CO2 measurements by the Q-NRG were evaluated by comparing the measurements of known O2 and CO2 gas mixtures with the measurements by the mass spectrometer (Extrel, USA). The accuracy and precision of the Q-NRG® for measurements of VO2 (oxygen consumption) and VCO2 (CO2 production) at clinically relevant ranges (150, 250 and 400 ml/min STPD) were evaluated by measuring simulated gas exchange under mechanically ventilated setting at different FiO2 settings (21-80%), in comparison to the reference measurements by the mass spectrometer-based mixing chamber system. RESULTS: The measurements of gas mixtures of predefined O2 and CO2 concentrations by the Q-NRG® were within 2% accuracy versus the mass spectrometer measurements in Passing Bablok regression analysis. In a mechanically ventilated setting of FiO2 from 21 up to 70%, the Q-NRG® measurements of simulated VO2 and VCO2 were within 5% difference of the reference mass spectrometer measurements. CONCLUSION: In vitro evaluation confirms that the accuracy of the Q-NRG® indirect calorimeter is within 5% at oxygen enrichment to 70%; i.e. maximum expected for clinical use. Further recommendations for the clinical use of the Q-NRG® by will be released once the ongoing multi-center study is completed.

Can calculation of energy expenditure based on CO2 measurements replace indirect calorimetry?

BACKGROUND: Methods to calculate energy expenditure (EE) based on CO2 measurements (EEVCO2) have been proposed as a surrogate to indirect calorimetry. This study aimed at evaluating whether EEVCO2 could be considered as an alternative to EE measured by indirect calorimetry. METHODS: Indirect calorimetry measurements conducted for clinical purposes on 278 mechanically ventilated ICU patients were retrospectively analyzed. EEVCO2 was calculated by a converted Weir's equation using CO2 consumption (VCO2) measured by indirect calorimetry and assumed respiratory quotients (RQ): 0.85 (EEVCO2_0.85) and food quotient (FQ; EEVCO2_FQ). Mean calculated EEVCO2 and measured EE were compared by paired t test. Accuracy of EEVCO2 was evaluated according to the clinically relevant standard of 5% accuracy rate to the measured EE, and the more general standard of 10% accuracy rate. The effects of the timing of measurement (before or after the 7th ICU day) and energy provision rates (<90 or ≥90% of EE) on 5% accuracy rates were also analyzed (chi-square tests). RESULTS: Mean biases for EEVCO2_0.85 and EEVCO2_FQ were -21 and -48 kcal/d (p = 0.04 and 0.00, respectively), and 10% accuracy rates were 77.7 and 77.3%, respectively. However, 5% accuracy rates were 46.0 and 46.4%, respectively. Accuracy rates were not affected by the timing of the measurement, or the energy provision rates at the time of measurements. CONCLUSIONS: Calculated EE based on CO2 measurement was not sufficiently accurate to consider the results as an alternative to measured EE by indirect calorimetry. Therefore, EE measured by indirect calorimetry remains as the gold standard to guide nutrition therapy.

Indirect calorimetry in nutritional therapy. A position paper by the ICALIC study group.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: This review aims to clarify the use of indirect calorimetry (IC) in nutritional therapy for critically ill and other patient populations. It features a comprehensive overview of the technical concepts, the practical application and current developments of IC. METHODS: Pubmed-referenced publications were analyzed to generate an overview about the basic knowledge of IC, to describe advantages and disadvantages of the current technology, to clarify technical issues and provide pragmatic solutions for clinical practice and metabolic research. The International Multicentric Study Group for Indirect Calorimetry (ICALIC) has generated this position paper. RESULTS: IC can be performed in in- and out-patients, including those in the intensive care unit, to measure energy expenditure (EE). Optimal nutritional therapy, defined as energy prescription based on measured EE by IC has been associated with better clinical outcome. Equations based on simple anthropometric measurements to predict EE are inaccurate when applied to individual patients. An ongoing international academic initiative to develop a new indirect calorimeter aims at providing innovative and affordable technical solutions for many of the current limitations of IC. CONCLUSION: Indirect calorimetry is a tool of paramount importance, necessary to optimize the nutrition therapy of patients with various pathologies and conditions. Recent technical developments allow broader use of IC for in- and out-patients.

Methods to validate the accuracy of an indirect calorimeter in the in-vitro setting.

INTRODUCTION: The international ICALIC initiative aims at developing a new indirect calorimeter according to the needs of the clinicians and researchers in the field of clinical nutrition and metabolism. The project initially focuses on validating the calorimeter for use in mechanically ventilated acutely ill adult patient. However, standard methods to validate the accuracy of calorimeters have not yet been established. This paper describes the procedures for the in-vitro tests to validate the accuracy of the new indirect calorimeter, and defines the ranges for the parameters to be evaluated in each test to optimize the validation for clinical and research calorimetry measurements. METHODS: Two in-vitro tests have been defined to validate the accuracy of the gas analyzers and the overall function of the new calorimeter. 1) Gas composition analysis allows validating the accuracy of O2 and CO2 analyzers. Reference gas of known O2 (or CO2) concentration is diluted by pure nitrogen gas to achieve predefined O2 (or CO2) concentration, to be measured by the indirect calorimeter. O2 and CO2 concentrations to be tested were determined according to their expected ranges of concentrations during calorimetry measurements. 2) Gas exchange simulator analysis validates O2 consumption (VO2) and CO2 production (VCO2) measurements. CO2 gas injection into artificial breath gas provided by the mechanical ventilator simulates VCO2. Resulting dilution of O2 concentration in the expiratory air is analyzed by the calorimeter as VO2. CO2 gas of identical concentration to the fraction of inspired O2 (FiO2) is used to simulate identical VO2 and VCO2. Indirect calorimetry results from publications were analyzed to determine the VO2 and VCO2 values to be tested for the validation. RESULTS: O2 concentration in respiratory air is highest at inspiration, and can decrease to 15% during expiration. CO2 concentration can be as high as 5% in expired air. To validate analyzers for measurements of FiO2 up to 70%, ranges of O2 and CO2 concentrations to be tested were defined as 15-70% and 0.5-5.0%, respectively. The mean VO2 in 426 adult mechanically ventilated patients was 270 ml/min, with 2 standard deviation (SD) ranges of 150-391 ml/min. Thus, VO2 and VCO2 to be simulated for the validation were defined as 150, 250, and 400 ml/min. CONCLUSION: The procedures for the in-vitro tests of the new indirect calorimeter and the ranges for the parameters to be evaluated in each test have been defined to optimize the validation of accuracy for clinical and research indirect calorimetry measurements. The combined methods will be used to validate the accuracy of the new indirect calorimeter developed by the ICALIC initiative, and should become the standard method to validate the accuracy of any future indirect calorimeters.

Energy expenditure in mechanically ventilated patients: The weight of body weight!

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Optimal nutritional care for intensive care unit (ICU) patients requires precise determination of energy expenditure (EE) to avoid deleterious under- or overfeeding. The reference method, indirect calorimetry (IC), is rarely accessible and inconstantly feasible. Various equations for predicting EE based on body weight (BW) are available. This study aims at determining the best prediction strategy unless IC is available. METHODS: Mechanically ventilated patients staying ≥72 h in the ICU were included, except those with contraindications for IC measurements. IC and BW measurements were routinely performed. EE was predicted by the ESPEN formula and other predictive equations using BW (i.e. anamnestic (AN), measured (MES), adjusted for cumulated water balance (ADJ), calculated for a body mass index (BMI) of 22.5). Comparisons were made using Pearson correlation and Bland & Altman plots. RESULTS: 85 patients (57 ± 19 y, 61 men, SAPS II 43 ± 16) were included. Correlations between IC and predicted EE using the ESPEN formula with different BW (BWAN, BWMES, BWADJ, and BWBMI22.5) were 0.44, 0.40, 0.36, and 0.47, respectively. Bland & Altman plots showed wide and inconsistent variations. Predictive equations including body temperature and minute ventilation showed the best correlations, but when using various BWs, differences in predicted EE were observed. CONCLUSION: No EE predictive equation, regardless of the BW used, gives statistically identical results to IC. If IC cannot be performed, predictive equations including minute ventilation and body temperature should be preferred. BW has a significant impact on estimated EE and the use of measured BWMES or BW BMI 22.5 is associated with the best EE prediction. Clinical trial registration number on ClinicalTrial.gov: NCT02552446. Ethical committee number: CE-14-070.

Supplemental Parenteral Nutrition Is the Key to Prevent Energy Deficits in Critically Ill Patients.

This review emphasizes the role of a timely supplemental parenteral nutrition (PN) for critically ill patients. It contradicts the recommendations of current guidelines to avoid the use of PN, as it is associated with risk. Critical illness results in severe metabolic stress. During the early phase, inflammatory cytokines and mediators induce catabolism to meet the increased body energy demands by endogenous sources. This response is not suppressed by exogenous energy administration, and the early use of PN to reach the energy target leads to overfeeding. On the other hand, early and progressive enteral nutrition (EN) is less likely to cause overfeeding because of variable gastrointestinal tolerance, a factor frequently associated with significant energy deficit. Recent studies demonstrate that adequate feeding is beneficial during and after the intensive care unit (ICU) stay. Supplemental PN allows for timely adequate feeding, if sufficient precautions are taken to avoid overfeeding. Indirect calorimetry can precisely define the adequate energy prescription. Our pragmatic approach is to start early EN to progressively test the gut tolerance and add supplemental PN on day 3 or 4 after ICU admission, only if EN does not meet the measured energy target. We believe that supplemental PN plays a pivotal role in the achievement of adequate feeding in critically ill patients with intolerance to EN and does not cause harm if overfeeding is avoided by careful prescription, ideally based on energy expenditure measured by indirect calorimetry.

Thoracic epidural analgesia: a new approach for the treatment of acute pancreatitis?

This review article analyzes, through a nonsystematic approach, the pathophysiology of acute pancreatitis (AP) with a focus on the effects of thoracic epidural analgesia (TEA) on the disease. The benefit-risk balance is also discussed. AP has an overall mortality of 1 %, increasing to 30 % in its severe form. The systemic inflammation induces a strong activation of the sympathetic system, with a decrease in the blood flow supply to the gastrointestinal system that can lead to the development of pancreatic necrosis. The current treatment for severe AP is symptomatic and tries to correct the systemic inflammatory response syndrome or the multiorgan dysfunction. Besides the removal of gallstones in biliary pancreatitis, no satisfactory causal treatment exists. TEA is widely used, mainly for its analgesic effect. TEA also induces a targeted sympathectomy in the anesthetized region, which results in splanchnic vasodilatation and an improvement in local microcirculation. Increasing evidence shows benefits of TEA in animal AP: improved splanchnic and pancreatic perfusion, improved pancreatic microcirculation, reduced liver damage, and significantly reduced mortality. Until now, only few clinical studies have been performed on the use of TEA during AP with few available data regarding the effect of TEA on the splanchnic perfusion. Increasing evidence suggests that TEA is a safe procedure and could appear as a new treatment approach for human AP, based on the significant benefits observed in animal studies and safety of use for human. Further clinical studies are required to confirm the clinical benefits observed in animal studies.

The burden of diarrhea in the intensive care unit (ICU-BD). A survey and observational study of the caregivers' opinions and workload.

BACKGROUND: Diarrhea as a common complication affects 14% patients in our intensive care unit. Risk factors for diarrhea and its clinical consequences for patients are well known, but the impact of diarrhea on caregivers' workload remains undocumented. OBJECTIVES: This study aims at establishing the impact of diarrhea on costs and human burden in intensive care unit caregivers. DESIGN: A survey and observational study. SETTINGS: A mixed 36-bed medical and surgical intensive care unit. PARTICIPANTS: All intensive care unit caregivers (nurses and nursing aides). METHODS: A questionnaire was designed by a multidisciplinary team and completed by intensive care unit caregivers analyzing the clinical and human impact of diarrhea on their workload. Time measurements for the management of liquid stools were performed. Human related costs of diarrhea were analyzed according to caregivers' years of clinical experience. RESULTS: Questionnaires were completed by 146 of 204 intensive care unit caregivers (75% nurses; 73% nursing aides). Dealing with diarrhea patients is a painful aspect of their work (69% nurses) with tiredness as main feeling and a source of conflict or misunderstanding among caregivers. The mean time measurement for managing one liquid stool in 50 diarrhea episodes was 17min and 33s, involving an average of 1.4 nurses and 0.8 nursing aides. Average human resources cost burden was 26.60 CHF per liquid stool. CONCLUSION: Dealing with diarrhea increases workload for intensive care unit caregivers with consequences on their well-being. Human related costs of diarrhea are substantial and highlight the economic burden of diarrhea episodes in the intensive care unit. A multidisciplinary approach and specific protocols could positively impact the burden of diarrhea in the intensive care unit. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinical Trials gov NCT01922570.

Evaluation of three indirect calorimetry devices in mechanically ventilated patients: which device compares best with the Deltatrac II(®)? A prospective observational study.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Indirect calorimetry (IC) is the gold standard to measure energy expenditure (EE) in hospitalized patients. The popular 30 year-old Deltatrac II(®) (Datex) IC is no more commercialized, but other manufacturers have developed new devices. This study aims at comparing for the first time simultaneously, two new IC, the CCM express(®) (Medgraphics) and the Quark RMR(®) (Cosmed) with the Deltatrac II(®) to assess their potential use in intensive care unit (ICU) patients. METHODS: ICU patients on mechanical ventilation, with positive end-expiratory pressure <9 cm H2O and fraction of inspired oxygen <60%, underwent measurements by the three IC simultaneously connected during 20 min to the ventilator (Evita XL(®), Dräger). Patients' characteristics, VO2 consumption, VCO2 production, respiratory quotient and EE were recorded. Data were presented as mean (SD) and compared by linear regression, repeated measure one-way ANOVA and Bland & Altman diagrams. RESULTS: Forty patients (23 males, 60(17) yrs, BMI 25.4(7.0) kg/m(2)) were included. For the Deltatrac II(®), VO2 was 227(61) ml/min, VCO2 189(52) ml/min and EE 1562(412) kcal/d. VO2, VCO2, and EE differed significantly between Deltatrac II(®) and CCM express(®) (p < 0.001), but not between Deltatrac II(®) and Quark RMR(®). For EE, diagrams showed a mean difference (2SD) of 25.2(441) kcal between Deltatrac II(®) vs. the Quark RMR(®), and -273 (532) kcal between Deltatrac II(®) vs CCM express(®). CONCLUSION: Quark RMR(®) compares better with Deltatrac II(®) than CCM express(®), but it suffers an EE variance of 441 kcal, which is not acceptable for clinical practice. New indirect IC should be further improved before recommending their clinical use in ICU.

Parenteral nutrition in the intensive care unit: cautious use improves outcome.

Critical illness is characterised by nutritional and metabolic disorders, resulting in increased muscle catabolism, fat-free mass loss, and hyperglycaemia. The objective of the nutritional support is to limit fat-free mass loss, which has negative consequences on clinical outcome and recovery. Early enteral nutrition is recommended by current guidelines as the first choice feeding route in ICU patients. However, enteral nutrition alone is frequently associated with insufficient coverage of the energy requirements, and subsequently energy deficit is correlated to worsened clinical outcome. Controlled trials have demonstrated that, in case of failure or contraindications to full enteral nutrition, parenteral nutrition administration on top of insufficient enteral nutrition within the first four days after admission could improve the clinical outcome, and may attenuate fat-free mass loss. Parenteral nutrition is cautious if all-in-one solutions are used, glycaemia controlled, and overnutrition avoided. Conversely, the systematic use of parenteral nutrition in the ICU patients without clear indication is not recommended during the first 48 hours. Specific methods, such as thigh ultra-sound imaging, 3rd lumbar vertebra-targeted computerised tomography and bioimpedance electrical analysis, may be helpful in the future to monitor fat-free mass during the ICU stay. Clinical studies are warranted to demonstrate whether an optimal nutritional management during the ICU stay promotes muscle mass and function, the recovery after critical illness and reduces the overall costs.