Change in Nutrition Strategy after Nutritional Support Team Activities for Cerebrovascular Disease Patients in the Intensive Care Unit

Abstract

Objective This study was done to introduce a nutrition support strategy and analyze the effect of nutritional support team (NST) activities in a single-center intensive care unit. Methods Between January and June 2017, acute severe cerebrovascular disease (CVA) patients who admitted to the intensive care unit and referred to the NST, were enrolled and assigned to the NST group. Demographics, initial GCS score, needed calorie intake (NCI), type of nutrition, time of switching from parenteral nutrition (PN) to enteral nutrition (EN), NCI satisfaction rate, incidence of feeding intolerance (FI), and clinical outcomes were analyzed, and compared with those in the control group, retrospectively. Results There were 38 patients in the NST group and 39 in the control group. The initial GCS score was 7.03±2.19 in the NST group and 6.82±2.19 in the control group. The average NCI was 1557.9 kcal in the NST group and 1635.9 kcal in the control group. In all patients, the start of PN was possible within 24 hours after admission. The EN start rate was slightly lower in the NST group. EN was initiated earlier in the NST group than in the control group. The NCI satisfaction rate at discharge was higher in the NST group. No statistically significant differences were observed in the rate of good clinical outcomes and incidence of FI between the two groups. Conclusion NST activity enabled the earlier start of EN and achievement of a high NCI satisfaction rate without increasing nutrition support related risks.