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Rationale: Long-term recovery after critical illness can be affected by post–intensive care syndrome (PICS), a significant burden, which can impact return to activities and work. There is a need for streamlined support for intensive care unit (ICU) patients in their recovery while enduring PICS symptoms. Objectives: To explore critical illness recovery from the experiences, perspectives, and beliefs of former ICU patients, their caregivers, and multidisciplinary clinicians to design a future rehabilitation intervention prototype to support ICU patients. Methods: This was an experience-based codesign (EBCD) study underpinned by the Behavior Change Wheel framework involving ICU patients (<5 years after illness), caregivers, and multidisciplinary clinicians with current clinical experience with ICU recovery at any point along the care continuum (ICU, acute, subacute, or community settings) from two metropolitan hospitals in Melbourne, Australia. Two rounds of experience-based codesign workshops were held between August 2021 and February 2022. Workshop content was analyzed via a reflective thematic approach to determine themes and develop an intervention. The intervention was mapped according to the template for intervention description and replication framework. Results: Forty people participated in the codesign process: 15 ICU patients, 2 caregivers, and 23 clinicians. Fifteen major themes were identified in the experience of ICU recovery. Returning home was a key time point for change, acceptance, and adjustment, with the burden of physical limitations and mental health problems becoming apparent. Most participants expressed that PICS was poorly understood in the community, and there was a lack of support to aid recovery. Based on these results, an intervention prototype was developed with a primary goal of improving care after hospital discharge. This was further refined in the second round of workshops. A resource toolkit was deemed most acceptable to end-users, including a hospital-directed support program involving psychology and physical therapy and an accompanying digital health package. Conclusions: A critical time point for more support in the recovery journey was the transition from hospital to home. To address this, a rehabilitation prototype including a physical and psychological support intervention and supporting digital health toolkit was codesigned. The intervention package will be developed and trialed with future ICU patients and their families. Clinical trial registered with (NCT 05044221). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: During critical illness skeletal muscle wasting occurs rapidly. Although beta‐hydroxy‐beta‐methylbutyrate (HMB) is a potential treatment to attenuate this process, the plasma appearance and muscle concentration is uncertain. Methods: This was an exploratory study nested within a blinded, parallel group, randomized clinical trial in which critically ill patients after trauma received enteral HMB (3 g daily) or placebo. Plasma samples were collected at 0, 60, and 180 min after study supplement administration on day 1. Needle biopsies of the vastus lateralis muscle were collected (baseline and day 7 of the HMB treatment intervention period). An external standard curve was used to calculate HMB concentrations in plasma and muscle. Results: Data were available for 16 participants (male n = 12 (75%), median [interquartile range] age 50 [29–58] years) who received placebo and 18 participants (male n = 14 (78%), age 49 [34–55] years) who received HMB. Plasma HMB concentrations were similar at baseline but increased after HMB (T = 60 min: placebo 0.60 [0.44–1.31] µM; intervention 51.65 [22.76–64.72] µM). Paired muscle biopsies were collected from 11 participants (placebo n = 7, HMB n = 4). Muscle HMB concentrations were similar at baseline between groups (2.35 [2.17–2.95]; 2.07 [1.78–2.31] µM). For participants in the intervention group who had the repeat biopsy within 4 h of HMB administration, concentrations were greater (7.2 and 12.3 µM) than those who had the repeat biopsy >4 h after HMB (2.7 and 2.1 µM). Conclusion: In this exploratory study, enteral HMB administration increased plasma HMB availability. The small sample size limits interpretation of the muscle HMB findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Beta‐hydroxy‐beta‐methylbutyrate (HMB) is a nutrition supplement that may attenuate muscle wasting from critical illness. This trial aimed to determine feasibility of administering a blinded nutrition supplement in the intensive care unit (ICU) and continuing it after ICU discharge. Methods: Single‐center, parallel‐group, blinded, placebo‐controlled, randomized feasibility trial. After traumatic injury necessitating admission to ICU, participants were randomized to receive an enteral study supplement of 3 g of HMB (intervention) or placebo daily for 28 days or until hospital discharge. Primary outcome was feasibility of administering the study supplement, quantified as protocol adherence. Secondary outcomes included change in quadriceps muscle thickness, measured weekly until day 28 or hospital discharge by using ultrasound and analyzed by using a linear mixed model. Results: Fifty randomized participants (intervention, n = 26; placebo, n = 24) showed comparable baseline characteristics. Participants received 862 (84.3%) of the 1022 prescribed supplements during hospitalization with 543 (62.8%) delivered via an enteral feeding tube. The median (IQR) number of study supplements successfully administered per participant was 19.5 (13.0–24.0) in the intervention group and 16.5 (8.5–23.5) in the placebo group. Marked loss of quadriceps muscle thickness occurred in both groups, with the point estimate favoring attenuated muscle loss with the intervention, albeit with wide CIs (mean intervention difference after 28 days, 0.26 cm [95% CI, −0.13 to 0.64]). Conclusion: A blinded, placebo‐controlled, randomized clinical trial of daily enteral HMB supplementation for up to 28 days in hospital is feasible. Any effect of HMB supplementation to attenuate muscle wasting after traumatic injury remains uncertain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Guidelines recommend prioritizing protein provision while avoiding excessive energy delivery to critically ill patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), but there are no prospective studies evaluating such a targeted approach in this group. We aimed to evaluate the effect of a "higher-protein formula protocol" on protein, energy, and volume delivery when compared with standard nutrition protocol., Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of adult patients with COVID-19 who received mechanical ventilation for >72 h and enteral nutrition. Before October 2021, the standard nutrition protocol for patients was 0.7 ml/kg/h ideal body weight (IBW) of a 63 g/L protein and 1250 kcal/L formula. From October 2021, we implemented a higher-protein formula protocol for patients with COVID-19. The initial prescription was 0.5 ml/kg/h IBW of a 100 g/L protein and 1260 kcal/L formula with greater emphasis on energy targets being directed by indirect calorimetry when possible. Measured outcomes included protein, energy, and volume delivered., Results: There were 114 participants (standard protocol, 48; higher-protein protocol, 66) with 1324 days of nutrition support. The median (95% CI) differences in protein, energy, and volume delivery between targeted and standard protocol periods were 0.08 g/kg/day (-0.02 to 0.18 g/kg/day), -1.71 kcal/kg/day (-3.64 to 0.21 kcal/kg/day) and -1.5 ml/kg/day (-2.9 to -0.1 ml/kg/day). Thirty-three patients (standard protocol, 7; higher-protein protocol, 26) had 44 indirect calorimetry assessments. There was no difference in measured energy expenditure over time (increased by 0.49 kcal/kg/day [-0.89 to 1.88 kcal/kg/day])., Conclusion: Implementation of a higher-protein formula protocol to patients with COVID-19 modestly reduced volume administration without impacting protein and energy delivery., (© 2024 The Authors. Journal of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition.)

Objective: To determine the frequency, indications and complications associated with the use of faecal diversion systems (rectal tubes) in critically ill patients., Design: A single centre observational study over 15 months., Setting: Intensive care unit (ICU)., Participants: Patients admitted during this period., Main Outcome Measures: Frequency of rectal tubes utilisation in ICU, as well as associated adverse events, with major events defined as lower gastrointestinal bleeding associated with defined blood transfusion of two or more units of red cells or endoscopy or surgical intervention., Results: Of 3418 admission episodes, there were 111 episodes of rectal tubes inserted in 99 patients. Rectal tubes remained indwelling for a median of 5 days (range, 1-23) for a total of 641 patient-days. The most frequent indication for insertion was excessive bowel motions. A major adverse event was observed in three patients (3%; 0.5 events per 100 device days). Two patients underwent laparotomy and one patient sigmoidoscopy. These patients received between two and 23 units of packed red blood cells. Patients who had a rectal tube inserted had a substantially greater duration of ICU admission (mean, 14 days [SD, 14] v 2.8 days [SD, 3.7]) and hospital mortality (15% v 7.7%; risk ratio, 2.0; 95% CI, 1.2-3.4) as well as an overall higher Australian and New Zealand Risk of Death (ANZROD) score (mean, 27 [SD, 22] v 12.6 [SD, 20])., Conclusion: Rectal tubes appear to be frequently inserted and can lead to major adverse events in critically ill patients.

Objective: Postprandial hypotension occurs frequently in older survivors of critical illness at 3 months after discharge. We aimed to determine whether postprandial hypotension and its predictors - gastric dysmotility and cardiovascular autonomic dysfunction - persist or resolve as older survivors of critical illness recover, and whether postprandial hypotension after intensive care unit (ICU) discharge is associated with adverse outcomes at 12 months., Design: Prospective observational study., Setting: Tertiary medical-surgical ICU., Participants: Older adults (aged ≥ 65 years) who had been studied 3 months after ICU discharge and who returned for a follow-up study at 12 months after discharge., Main Outcome Measures: On both occasions after fasting overnight, participants consumed a 300 mL drink containing 75 g glucose, radiolabelled with 20 MBq 99m Tcphytate. Blood pressure, heart rate, blood glucose concentration and gastric emptying rate were measured concurrently before and after ingestion of the drink. Falls, quality of life, hospitalisation and mortality rates were also quantified., Results: Out of 35 older adults studied at 3 months, 22 returned for the follow-up study at 12 months. Postprandial hypotension was evident in 29% of participants (95% CI, 14-44%) at 3 months and 10% of participants (95% CI, 1-30%) at 12 months. Postprandial hypotension at 3 months was associated with a more than threefold increase in the risk of falls in the year after ICU discharge (relative risk, 3.7 [95% CI, 1.6-8.8]; P = 0.003). At 12 months, gastric emptying was normal (mean time taken for 50% of gastric contents to empty, 101.6 [SD, 33.3] min) and cardiovascular autonomic dysfunction prevalence was low (9% [95% CI, 1-29%])., Conclusions: In older adults who were evaluated 3 and 12 months after ICU discharge, postprandial hypotension at 3 months was associated with an increased risk of subsequent falls, but the prevalence of postprandial hypotension decreased with time.

Objective: Long-term outcomes of critically ill patients with diabetes are unknown. Our objectives were to evaluate the effect of diabetes on both long-term survival rates and the average number of years of life lost for patients admitted to an intensive care unit who survived to hospital discharge., Design and Participants: A data linkage study evaluating all adult patients in South Australia between 2004 and 2011 who survived hospitalisation that required admission to a public hospital ICU., Main Outcome Measures: All patients were evaluated using hospital coding for diabetes, which was crossreferenced with registration with the Australian National Diabetes Services Scheme for a diagnosis of diabetes. This dataset was then linked to the Australian National Death Index. Longitudinal survival was assessed using Cox proportional hazards regression. Life-years lost were calculated using age- and sex-specific life-tables from the Australian Bureau of Statistics., Results: 5450 patients with diabetes and 17 023 patients without diabetes were included. Crude mortality rates were 105.5 per 1000 person-years (95% CI, 101.6-109.6 per 1000 person-years) for patients with diabetes, and 67.6 per 1000 person-years (95% CI, 65.9-69.3 per 1000 personyears) for patients without diabetes. Patients with diabetes were older and had higher illness severity scores on admission to the ICU, were more likely to die after hospital discharge (unadjusted hazard ratio [HR], 1.52 [95% CI, 1.45-1.59]; adjusted HR, 1.16 [95% CI, 1.10-1.21]; P < 0.0001) and suffered a greater number of average lifeyears lost., Conclusions: Our study indicates that crude mortality for ICU survivors with pre-existing diabetes is considerable after hospital discharge, and the risk of mortality is greater than for survivors without diabetes.