[Artificial nutrition in intensive care: Hungarian results of the EuroPN study]

Introduction: The importance of artificial nutrition in critical illness is well known; the lack of it can cause delayed wound healing and increase in ventilator days. Objective: The objective of the previously published EuroPN study was to assess the nutritional practice across Europe amongst the participating intensive care units and examine the effect of calory and protein intake in weaning from mechanical ventilation and 90-day mortality. This manuscript will analyze the Hungarian data out of the EuroPN study. Method: We included all patients with length of stay >5 days during the screening month. Clinical and nutritional data were collected retrospectively for the first 5 days and prospectively thereafter until day 15 (or discharge/death). Patient outcome data were collected on day 15, 30 and 90. Results: There were 111 patients included from 6 Hungarian intensive care units. The analysis of cumulative calory and protein intake of these patients showed that the ESPEN target was achieved at a much higher proportion in Hungary compared to the European patients: 92% of calory target was reached (95% CI 68; 118) vs. 83% in European patients (95% CI 59; 107). The protein target showed even higher difference: patients in Hungary reached the target in 83% (95% CI 57; 121), compared to 65% in European patients (95% CI 41; 91). Discussion and conclusion: The higher cumulative calory and protein intake significantly reduced the number of ventilator days in the EuroPN study. The Hungarian patients reached this target earlier, by day 3; this was achieved by using the supplementary parenteral nutrition earlier. Orv Hetil. 2024; 165(14): 531–537.