Nutritional Support in Hospitalized Patients

Despite detailed recommendations provided by international scientific societies, numerous studies highlight substantial variability and deficiencies in clinical practice, notably delays in initiating artificial nutrition (AN), inadequate caloric and protein dosing, and disparities in treatment across patient groups. Unfortunately, applying the general recommendations to nutritional therapy for polymorbid patients is particularly challenging for healthcare providers without specific nutrition training, as disease-specific quantitative and qualitative nutritional requirements must be considered. In this report, we present results obtained from data collected on hospitalized patients undergoing AN across 35 medical and surgical wards and the intensive care unit of a university hospital in Southern Italy. In all these cases, the decisions regarding the type (enteral/parenteral) and the intensity (calories/proteins) of the nutritional interventions observed were made by the physicians working on the wards. This study describes the application of AN in real-world hospital settings, identifying the main critical issues and suggesting possible interventions to improve clinical practice.

Primary outcomes

• Prevalence of patients receiving artificial nutrition during their hospitalization. [Baseline evaluation was performed for all patients on the same day, which corresponded to a variable time from the beginning of hospitalization.]: Among the 578 hospitalized patients, 56 (9.7%; 30 males, 26 females), with a mean age of 67.1 ± 11.6 years, were receiving artificial nutrition (AN). The modalities of AN administration were as follows: total parenteral nutrition (TPN) in 39 patients, enteral nutrition (EN) in 16 patients, and EN plus supplemental parenteral nutrition (SPN) in 1 patient.

Secondary outcomes

• Evaluation of the total amount of calories received [Baseline evaluation was performed for all patients on the same day, which corresponded to a variable time from the beginning of hospitalization.]: The total caloric intake received by each patient was calculated based on the characteristics of nutritional parenteral and enteral products and the duration of their infusion. The appropriateness of the caloric intake was calculated using the most accurate prediction formula suggested for a specific body mass index (BMI) range.

Other outcomes

• Protein intake/kg of body weight [Baseline evaluation was performed for all patients on the same day, which corresponded to a variable time from the beginning of hospitalization.]: Patients admitted to the intensive care unit were fed by enteral nutrition and received only 0.41 ± 0.15 g/kg b.w. Patients receiving parenteral nutrition had a protein intake ranging from 0.55 ± 0.15 to 0.70 ± 0.17 g/kg of body weight.
• The median time elapsed between hospital admission and the initiation of artificial nutrition (AN). [This evaluation was performed at baseline]: The median time to initiate AN following hospital admission was 3 days (IQR 0-13.5 days). In detail, ICU patients received AN after 1 day (IQR 0-2), whereas patients in other wards received saline solutions with or without glucose for 5 days (IQR 0-16) after admission before commencing AN.

Sex: All, ages: 18 Years to any

Inclusion Criteria: Hospitalized patients receiving artificial nutrition -

Exclusion Criteria: Patients on normal oral feeding.

\-

• Jensen GL, Cederholm T, Correia MITD, Gonzalez MC, Fukushima R, Higashiguchi T, de Baptista GA, Barazzoni R, Blaauw R, Coats AJS, Crivelli A, Evans DC, Gramlich L, Fuchs-Tarlovsky V, Keller H, Llido L, Malone A, Mogensen KM, Morley JE, Muscaritoli M, Nyulasi I, Pirlich M, Pisprasert V, de van der Schueren M, Siltharm S, Singer P, Tappenden KA, Velasco N, Waitzberg DL, Yamwong P, Yu J, Compher C, Van Gossum A. GLIM Criteria for the Diagnosis of Malnutrition: A Consensus Report From the Global Clinical Nutrition Community. JPEN J Parenter Enteral Nutr. 2019 Jan;43(1):32-40. doi: 10.1002/jpen.1440. Epub 2018 Sep 2. PMID 30175461
• Totland TH, Krogh HW, Smedshaug GB, Tornes RA, Bye A, Paur I. Harmonization and standardization of malnutrition screening for all adults - A systematic review initiated by the Norwegian Directorate of Health. Clin Nutr ESPEN. 2022 Dec;52:32-49. doi: 10.1016/j.clnesp.2022.09.028. Epub 2022 Oct 2. PMID 36513471
• Amato V, De Caprio C, Santarpia L, De Rosa A, Bongiorno C, Stella G, De Rosa E, Iacone R, Scanzano C, Pasanisi F, Contaldo F. Time trend prevalence of artificial nutrition counselling in a university hospital. Nutrition. 2019 Feb;58:181-186. doi: 10.1016/j.nut.2018.08.014. Epub 2018 Aug 24. PMID 30504009
• Krishnan S, Sytsma T, Wischmeyer PE. Addressing the Urgent Need for Clinical Nutrition Education in PostGraduate Medical Training: New Programs and Credentialing. Adv Nutr. 2024 Nov;15(11):100321. doi: 10.1016/j.advnut.2024.100321. Epub 2024 Oct 16. PMID 39424228
• Wunderle C, Gomes F, Schuetz P, Stumpf F, Austin P, Ballesteros-Pomar MD, Cederholm T, Fletcher J, Laviano A, Norman K, Poulia KA, Schneider SM, Stanga Z, Bischoff SC. ESPEN practical guideline: Nutritional support for polymorbid medical inpatients. Clin Nutr. 2024 Mar;43(3):674-691. doi: 10.1016/j.clnu.2024.01.008. Epub 2024 Jan 24. PMID 38309229
• Correia MI, Hegazi RA, Higashiguchi T, Michel JP, Reddy BR, Tappenden KA, Uyar M, Muscaritoli M. Evidence-based recommendations for addressing malnutrition in health care: an updated strategy from the feedM.E. Global Study Group. J Am Med Dir Assoc. 2014 Aug;15(8):544-50. doi: 10.1016/j.jamda.2014.05.011. Epub 2014 Jul 2. PMID 24997720
• Singer P, Blaser AR, Berger MM, Alhazzani W, Calder PC, Casaer MP, Hiesmayr M, Mayer K, Montejo JC, Pichard C, Preiser JC, van Zanten ARH, Oczkowski S, Szczeklik W, Bischoff SC. ESPEN guideline on clinical nutrition in the intensive care unit. Clin Nutr. 2019 Feb;38(1):48-79. doi: 10.1016/j.clnu.2018.08.037. Epub 2018 Sep 29. PMID 30348463
• Bolado Jimenez C, Fernadez Ovalle H, Munoz Moreno MF, Aller de la Fuente R, de Luis Roman DA. Undernutrition measured by the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) test and related risk factors in older adults under hospital emergency care. Nutrition. 2019 Oct;66:142-146. doi: 10.1016/j.nut.2019.04.005. Epub 2019 May 10. PMID 31279180
• Pirlich M, Schutz T, Norman K, Gastell S, Lubke HJ, Bischoff SC, Bolder U, Frieling T, Guldenzoph H, Hahn K, Jauch KW, Schindler K, Stein J, Volkert D, Weimann A, Werner H, Wolf C, Zurcher G, Bauer P, Lochs H. The German hospital malnutrition study. Clin Nutr. 2006 Aug;25(4):563-72. doi: 10.1016/j.clnu.2006.03.005. Epub 2006 May 15. PMID 16698132

• Michele Barone, Study chair, University of Bari