Nutrition in Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis: A Multicenter Review

Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) are severe exfoliative diseases treated in burn centers due to large skin losses. Literature on SJS/TEN refers to parenteral nutrition (PN) as the preferred route of nutrition support. This study describes nutrition support interventions in SJS/TEN patients admitted to burn centers.

Seven burn centers participated in this Institutional Review Board-exempted retrospective chart review of adults with SJS/TEN admitted from 2000-2012.

This analysis included 171 patients with SJS/TEN. Median total body surface area involvement was 35% (n = 145; interquartile range [IQR], 16%-62%). The majority required mechanical ventilation (n = 105). Based on indirect calorimetry, measured energy needs were 24.2 kcal/kg of admit weight (n = 58; IQR, 19.4-29.9). Thirty-one patients did not require enteral nutrition (EN) and started oral intake on hospital day 1 (IQR, 1-2), and 81% required EN support due to inadequate oral intake and remained on EN until day 16 (median hospital day, 16; IQR, 9-25). High-protein enteral formulas predominated. PN was rarely used (n = 12, 7%). Most patients were discharged home (57%), with 14% still requiring EN.

Nutrition support should be considered in patients with SJS/TEN due to increased metabolic needs and an inability to meet these needs orally. Most SJS/TEN patients continued on EN and did not require escalation to PN.