Nutritional and metabolic characteristics of critically ill patients admitted for severe toxidermia

Drug-induced toxidermia is an idiosyncratic adverse skin reaction that may become life-threatening in a small portion of patients, requiring intensive care unit (ICU) admission. The treatment recommendations are extrapolated from those of major burns, while prospective data remain sparse. The objective was to observe the application of these recommendations in patients treated in a burn ICU.

Retrospective cohort study including patients requiring ICU between 2006 and 2020 in a tertiary university hospital.

Age >18 years. Patients were categorized as Stevens-Johnson Syndrome/Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (SJS/TEN), or other toxidermia.

severity scores, body surface area (BSA) involvement, nutritional and metabolic variables, trace element status, outcome variables. Descriptive statistics: median [IQR].

Altogether 35 patients were included (27 SJS/TEN and 8 "other"), aged 58 [48; 69] years. Skin involvement was 45% [30; 60] of body surface, 17 patients required mechanical ventilation, and length of ICU stay was 16 [6.5; 26] days. Hospital mortality was 23%. Fluid resuscitation requirements were moderate, despite intense inflammation (admission CRP (144 [89; 218] mg/L). The first 2 weeks' energy and protein intakes were below recommendations (p < 0.0001), lowest with oral feeding. Indirect calorimetry showed high energy expenditure in 11 patients (30.4 [23.9; 35.5] kcal/kg) resulting in negative energy balances (mean -245 kcal/day). Copper and zinc levels were below reference range during the first week, the low copper values being a novel finding.

Trace elements should be monitored. The cohort was underfed with intakes lower than our ICU protocols, partly explained by short intubation times, and mucocutaneous involvement complicating the management and placement of feeding tubes. Oral feeding was least efficient and may become an indication for supplemental parenteral nutrition in the absence of an enteral feeding tube.

gov Identifier: NCT05320653.