Background & aims
Nutritional knowledge in patients with SARS-Cov2 infection (COVID-19) is limited. Our objectives were: i) to assess malnutrition in hospitalized COVID-19 patients, ii) to investigate the links between malnutrition and disease severity at admission, iii) to study the impact of malnutrition on clinical outcomes such as transfer to an intensive care unit (ICU) or death.
Methods
Consecutive patients hospitalized in a medicine ward at a university hospital were included from March 21st to April 24th 2020 (n = 114, 60.5% males, age: 59.9 ± 15.9 years). Nutritional status was defined using Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) criteria. Clinical, radiological and biological characteristics of COVID-19 patients were compared according to the presence of malnutrition. Logistic regression was used to assess associations between nutritional parameters and unfavourable outcomes such as transfer to intensive care unit (ICU) or death.
Results
The overall prevalence of malnutrition was 42.1% (moderate: 23.7%, severe: 18.4%). The prevalence of malnutrition reached 66.7% in patients admitted from ICU. No significant association was found between nutritional status and clinical signs of COVID-19. Lower albumin levels were associated with a higher risk of transfer to ICU (for 10 g/l of albumin, OR [95%CI]: 0.31 [0.1; 0.7]; p < 0.01) and this association was independent of age and CRP levels.
Conclusions
COVID-19 in medical units dedicated to non-intensive care is associated with a high prevalence of malnutrition, especially for patients transferred from ICU. These data emphasize the importance of early nutritional screening in these patients to adapt management accordingly.
Background & Aims: SARS-CoV2 infection is associated with an increased risk of malnutrition. Although there are numerous screening and nutritional management protocols for malnutrition, only few studies have reported nutritional evolution after COVID-19. The objectives of this study were to describe the evolution of nutritional parameters between admission and 30 days after hospital discharge, and to determine predictive factors of poor nutritional outcome after recovery in adult COVID-19 patients. Methods: In this observational longitudinal study, we report findings after discharge in 91 out of 114 patients initially admitted for COVID-19 who received early nutritional management. Nutritional status was defined using GLIM criteria and compared between admission and day 30 after discharge. Baseline predictors of nutritional status at day 30 were assessed using logistic regression. Results: Thirty days after discharge, 28.6% of patients hospitalized for COVID-19 were malnourished, compared to 42.3% at admission. Half of malnourished patients (53%) at admission recovered a normal nutritional status after discharge. Weight trajectories were heterogeneous and differed if patients had been transferred to an intensive care unit (ICU) during hospitalization (p = 0.025). High oxygen requirement during hospitalization (invasive ventilation p = 0.016 (OR 8.3 [1.6–61.2]) and/or oxygen therapy over 5 L/min p = 0.021 (OR 3.2 [1.2–8.9]) were strong predictors of malnutrition one month after discharge. Conclusions: With early nutritional management, most patients hospitalized for COVID-19 improved nutritional parameters after discharge. These findings emphasize the importance of nutritional care in COVID-19 patients hospitalized in medicine departments, especially in those transferred from ICU.
Introduction: While the prevalence of severe obesity is increasing worldwide, caregivers are often challenged with the management of patients with extreme weight.
Case report: A 30-year-old woman (weight 245 kg, body mass index 85 kg/m²) presented with dyspnea for which investigations led to suspect pulmonary embolism. The patient’s weight made it impossible to perform adapted imaging, thus, an empirical anticoagulant treatment was initiated. A hematoma of the thigh occurred as a consequence of a transient antivitamin K overdose leading to a 15 cm necrotic wound worsened by a state of malnutrition. Multidisciplinary and comprehensive care was performed including wound trimming, antibiotics, skin grafting, treatment of malnutrition, and psychological support, but with marked difficulties, due to the lack of adapted medical equipment and facilities as well as appropriate medical guidelines. Overall, 7 months of hospitalization including 4 months of physiotherapy and rehabilitation were needed before the patient could return home.
Discussion: This case highlights how difficult managing patients with extreme obesity can be and points to the importance for healthcare systems to adapt to the specific needs of these patients and to design specific guidelines for treatment dosage and malnutrition prevention and treatment in this setting.
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