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Observational Study
. 2022 Dec;41(12):2934-2939.
doi: 10.1016/j.clnu.2021.11.017. Epub 2021 Nov 23.

Impact of COVID-19 in nutritional and functional status of survivors admitted in intensive care units during the first outbreak. Preliminary results of the NUTRICOVID study

Cristina Cuerda  1 , Iván Sánchez López  2 , Carmen Gil Martínez  3 , María Merino Viveros  4 , Cristina Velasco  5 , Vanessa Cevallos Peñafiel  6 , María Maíz Jiménez  7 , Irene Gonzalo  8 , Víctor González-Sánchez  9 , Araceli Ramos Carrasco  10 , Patricia Díaz Guardiola  11 , Clara Marcuello Foncillas  12 , M A Sampedro-Núñez  13 , Marina Morato Martínez  14 , Icíar Galicia  15 , Naiara Modroño Móstoles  16 , María Blanca Martínez-Barbeito  17 , Laura Mola Reyes  3 , Cristina Navea Aguilera  4 , Loredana Arhip  5 , Dolores Del Olmo García  6 , Mario Huelves Delgado  7 , Emilia Cáncer-Minchot  8 , María Pastor García  9 , Beatriz Pelegrina-Cortés  10 , Juana Olivar Roldán  11 , Silmary Maichle  12 , Begoña Molina Bahena  13 , Natalia García Vázquez  14 , Elena Atienza  15 , Irene Hoyas Rodríguez  16 , Ángela Amengual Galbarte  17 , Ángela Morales  5 , Mªa Valero Zanuy  7 , Pilar Matía-Martín  12 , Carolina Knott  13 , Alexander Agrifoglio Rotaeche  14 , Andrés Ortiz  15 , Mªp Gómez Montes  16 , Mercedes Ramírez Ortiz  17 , Marta Ruiz Aguado  7 , Samara Palma Milla  14 , Teresa Montoya Álvarez  16 , Enrique Sanz Martínez  17 , Marta Rodríguez De Codesal  17 , Belén Quesada Bellver  17 , Susana Aceituno  18 , F J Pérez-Sádaba  18 , Julia Álvarez-Hernández  2 ; NUTRICOVID study research group of SENDIMAD
Affiliations
Observational Study

Impact of COVID-19 in nutritional and functional status of survivors admitted in intensive care units during the first outbreak. Preliminary results of the NUTRICOVID study

Cristina Cuerda et al. Clin Nutr. 2022 Dec.

Abstract

Background & aims: COVID-19 patients present a high hospitalization rate with a high mortality risk for those requiring intensive care. When these patients have other comorbid conditions and older age, the risk for severe disease and poor outcomes after ICU admission are increased. The present work aims to describe the preliminary results of the ongoing NUTRICOVID study about the nutritional and functional status and the quality of life of adult COVID-19 survivors after ICU discharge, emphasizing the in-hospital and discharge situation of this population.

Methods: A multicenter, ambispective, observational cohort study was conducted in 16 public hospitals of the Community of Madrid with COVID-19 survivors who were admitted to the ICU during the first outbreak. Preliminary results of this study include data retrospectively collected. Malnutrition and sarcopenia were screened at discharge using MUST and SARC-F; the use of healthcare resources was measured as the length of hospital stay and requirement of respiratory support and tracheostomy during hospitalization; other study variables were the need for medical nutrition therapy (MNT); and patients' functional status (Barthel index) and health-related quality of life (EQ-5D-5L).

Results: A total of 176 patients were included in this preliminary analysis. Most patients were male and older than 60 years, who suffered an average (SD) weight loss of 16.6% (8.3%) during the hospital stay, with a median length of stay of 53 (27-89.5) days and a median ICU stay of 24.5 (11-43.5) days. At discharge, 83.5% and 86.9% of the patients were at risk of malnutrition and sarcopenia, respectively, but only 38% were prescribed MNT. In addition, more than 70% of patients had significant impairment of their mobility and to conduct their usual activities at hospital discharge.

Conclusions: This preliminary analysis evidences the high nutritional and functional impairment of COVID-19 survivors at hospital discharge and highlights the need for guidelines and systematic protocols, together with appropriate rehabilitation programs, to optimize the nutritional management of these patients after discharge.

Keywords: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19); Functional status; Health-related quality of life; Intensive care; Malnutrition; Nutritional therapy.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest Dr. C.C. reports personal fees from Takeda, personal fees from Fresenius Kabi, personal fees from Baxter, personal fees from Nutricia, personal fees from Persan Farma, outside the submitted work. The rest of the authors declare no conflict of interest related to this article. The authors declare that the funding provider was not involved in analyzing and dissemination of the study results, and that no conflict of interest exists with this organization.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Study diagram.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Distribution of patients according to their BMI at hospital admission and discharge.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Comment in

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