Abstract
Background: Nutrition is important in recovery, especially for patients after prolonged Intensive Care Unit (ICU) stays. Despite emerging evidence of ICU survivors experiencing nutritional deficits, weight loss, and malnutrition, limited published data examine the association of nutritional intake in the post ICU period on health outcomes.
Aim: To explore nutritional adequacy within and post ICU discharge on health outcomes, such as weight change, nutritional status, falls incidence, infection, and the development of pressure ulcers.
Methods: This retrospective audit recruited 14 patients admitted to ICU and intubated consecutively for 5 days or longer. The primary outcome measure was energy and protein intake in ICU and then until health service discharge. This was analysed against secondary outcomes, including weight change, nutritional status, falls incidence, infection, and pressure ulcer development.
Results: Mean overall intake on the ward was lower than ICU, with average intake of energy falling by 9.1% ± 26.5% and protein falling by 4% ± 24.2. 4% upon ICU discharge. Twenty-nine percent of patients became malnourished during their inpatient admission. These malnourished patients were more likely to fall or develop a pressure ulcer compared to their well-nourished counterparts, however this did not appear to be linked to dietary intake. An average of 12.4 kg weight was lost per person during their hospital stay.
Conclusion: Patients' nutritional intake declined after ICU discharge and they experienced weight loss and malnutrition. Future studies with longer patient follow-up into the community are needed to measure the effect on post-hospital admission morbidity.
Aim: To explore nutritional adequacy within and post ICU discharge on health outcomes, such as weight change, nutritional status, falls incidence, infection, and the development of pressure ulcers.
Methods: This retrospective audit recruited 14 patients admitted to ICU and intubated consecutively for 5 days or longer. The primary outcome measure was energy and protein intake in ICU and then until health service discharge. This was analysed against secondary outcomes, including weight change, nutritional status, falls incidence, infection, and pressure ulcer development.
Results: Mean overall intake on the ward was lower than ICU, with average intake of energy falling by 9.1% ± 26.5% and protein falling by 4% ± 24.2. 4% upon ICU discharge. Twenty-nine percent of patients became malnourished during their inpatient admission. These malnourished patients were more likely to fall or develop a pressure ulcer compared to their well-nourished counterparts, however this did not appear to be linked to dietary intake. An average of 12.4 kg weight was lost per person during their hospital stay.
Conclusion: Patients' nutritional intake declined after ICU discharge and they experienced weight loss and malnutrition. Future studies with longer patient follow-up into the community are needed to measure the effect on post-hospital admission morbidity.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | ID113 |
| Pages (from-to) | 34 |
| Number of pages | 1 |
| Journal | Nutrition & Dietetics |
| Volume | 79 |
| Issue number | S1 |
| Publication status | Published - 8 Aug 2022 |
| Event | Annual Conference of the Dietitians-Association-of-Australia 2022 - Adelaide, Australia Duration: 14 Aug 2022 → 16 Aug 2022 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/17470080/2022/79/S1 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1747-0080.12758 (Oral Presentation abstracts) https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1747-0080.12759 (Poster Presentation abstracts) |
