Nutrition Therapy in the Patient with COVID-19 Disease Requiring ICU Care

Guiding Principles for SARS-CoV2 Management Like all interventions related to the care of the patient with COVID-19, the delivery of nutrition in critically ill patients should take into consideration the following principles: 1. [...] EN may be restarted after the patient is stable on a single vasopressor dose with sustained mean arterial pressure (MAP) of >65 mmHg and slowly advanced to a goal of 80 – 100% of estimated needs by the end of the first week of ICU admission.4,8 EN should be held and initiation of PN strongly considered in patients with gastrointestinal intolerance as manifested by unexplained abdominal pain, nause. [...] Gastric residual volume (GRV) monitoring is not reliable for detection of delayed gastric emptying and risk of aspiration, has been shown to be a deterrent to the delivery of EN, and should not be utilized as a monitor of feeding tolerance.11 Per the guiding principles in caring for the critically ill patient with COVID-19 disease, this recommendation is relevant to decrease the risk of SARS-CoV-2. [...] Consider use of the EN algorithm of care found at: Nutrition_Care_Pathway_for_Critically-Ill_Adult_Patients/ Conclusion The delivery of nutritional therapy to the patient with COVID-19 disease should follow the basic principles of critical care nutrition as recommended by European and North American societal guidel. [...] To the extent that the information published herein may be used to assist in the care of patients, this is the result of the sole professional judgment of the attending healthcare professional whose judgment is the primary component of quality medical care.