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Observed appetite and nutrient intake three months after ICU discharge
Lee-Anne S Chapple1, Luke M Weinel2, Yasmine Ali Abdelhamid3
1Discipline of Acute Care Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Adelaide, Australia; Intensive Care Research Unit, Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide, Australia; National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia Centre for Research Excellence in Translating Nutritional Science to Good Health, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia.
Clinical Nutrition (Edinburgh, Scotland)
|May 21, 2018
Summary
Three months after intensive care unit (ICU) discharge, survivors consumed fewer calories and preferred less fat, but their intake at a test meal and gastric emptying were similar to healthy individuals. Factors beyond appetite may influence their nutritional intake.
Area of Science:
- Critical Care Medicine
- Nutritional Science
- Gastroenterology
Background:
- Oral intake often decreases after intensive care unit (ICU) discharge.
- Factors influencing nutritional intake post-hospitalization remain under-evaluated.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess dietary intake three months after ICU discharge.
- To investigate the influence of appetite and gastric emptying on nutritional intake in ICU survivors.
Main Methods:
- An inception cohort study comparing ICU survivors with healthy subjects.
- Gastric emptying measured using a standardized 13C-octanoic acid drink.
- Dietary intake assessed via 24-hour recall and a weighed buffet meal.
- Appetite evaluated using visual analogue scales.
Main Results:
- ICU survivors consumed fewer calories (1876 vs. 2291 kcal) and reported lower fat preference compared to healthy subjects.
- Calorie and macronutrient intake at a weighed buffet meal were similar between groups.
- ICU survivors reported feeling less full, despite similar gastric emptying rates and test meal intake.
Conclusions:
- ICU survivors exhibit altered dietary preferences and reduced overall calorie intake post-discharge.
- Gastric emptying and intake at a standardized meal do not differ significantly between ICU survivors and healthy individuals.
- Reduced feelings of fullness in ICU survivors suggest non-appetite-related factors may impact nutritional intake.
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