Retrospective evaluation of unstable patients fed parenterally in intensive care unit: Single center experience

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine the demographic and clinical characteristics of patients fed with total parenteral nutrition who were hemodynamically unstable in the ICU. This study was performed retrospectively in the medical intensive care unit of a university hospital. Information was obtained from the patients’ files, the hospital electronic registry system and nutrition unit registration forms. This study included 51 patients. The mean age of the patients was 57 ± 19 years, of the patients 47% were male and 53% were female. When the reasons for total parenteral nutrition were evaluated, it was found that the most common causes of total parenteral nutrition were because of septic shock (47%) and gastrointestinal bleeding (23%). The daily caloric intake of the patients was 1,389 ± 286 kcal, and the target caloric value was 1,824 ± 256. The number of days with mechanical ventilation was 5 (median 0–42), the number of days stayed in the intensive care unit was 9 (median 1–125) and the number of days stayed in the hospital was 13 (median 1–155). The mortality rate of the patients was 71%. Serum albumin levels were found to be lower in patients who died than in those who lived, and these low albumin levels were statistically significant (p=0.015). In this study, it was seen that total parenteral nutrition was most commonly applied to the patients in a state of septic shock who had vasopressor support and to the patients who had gastrointestinal bleeding. In addition, it was determined that the target energy value could not be reached.