Assessment of Nutrient Absorption in Enterally Fed Post-intensive Care Unit Patients Using Bomb Calorimetry: do the Calories Stick
For patients and families
In plain language
An automatic summary of structured registry data. It is an orientation aid, not a substitute for the official protocol or a physician assessment.
- What is being studied
- The protocol lists: caloric intake measurement, stool sample collection, energy expenditure measurement.
- Who it may be relevant to
- Registry conditions: Post-ICU Patients Fully Enterally Fed. Basic parameters: from 18 years · All.
- What needs checking
- Age, condition and sex are only basic indicators. Prior treatment, laboratory values and other mandatory requirements appear in the eligibility criteria below.
- Where it takes place
- Belgium
- Next step
- Save the trial, show it to the treating physician, and confirm current recruitment with the study center. Costs, documents and travel →
Unsure about the terms? Read our patient guide →
Official title
Assessment of Nutrient Absorption in Enterally Fed Post-ICU Patients Using Bomb Calorimetry: do the Calories Stick
Overview
This study focuses on understanding how well patients who have recovered from an ICU stay absorb nutrients when receiving enteral (tube) feeding. Proper nutrition is crucial for recovery, but we don't fully understand how efficiently enteral feeding works in ICU survivors. The study will use advanced techniques like bomb calorimetry to measure the energy content of stool, and indirect calorimetry to measure patients' resting energy expenditure (REE). This will help assess the effectiveness of enteral feeding in these patients, providing valuable information about their metabolic needs and nutritional status. The study will also look into the environmental impact of enteral feeding, particularly food waste. By understanding how much of the nutrition is absorbed versus excreted, the study hopes to suggest more sustainable feeding practices and reduce unnecessary waste in hospitals. Key Goals: * Primary Goal: Measure how much energy from enteral feeding is absorbed by patients post-ICU by analyzing their stool and energy expenditure. * Secondary Goal: Assess how enteral feeding can be made more sustainable, with less waste generated from unused nutritional products. This research will help improve nutritional care for ICU patients, enhance recovery, and potentially lead to more environmentally friendly healthcare practices.
Detailed description
This study investigates the absorption efficiency of enteral nutrition in patients recovering from an intensive care unit (ICU) stay. Nutritional support is critical in the recovery of ICU patients, and enteral feeding is commonly used due to its benefits in preserving gut integrity and reducing infection risks. However, there is limited data on the actual absorption of nutrients in these patients, particularly in terms of how much of the provided energy is utilized versus excreted.
The primary focus of this study is to quantify the caloric intake and the caloric content of excreted stool to determine the efficiency of nutrient absorption in post-ICU patients. This will be done using bomb calorimetry, which measures the energy content in stool samples, and indirect calorimetry to assess the patients' resting energy expenditure (REE).
The study design is prospective, interventional, and single-center, involving 20 post-ICU patients who meet the inclusion criteria. Detailed tracking of caloric intake, including both enteral feeding and supplemental infusion calories, will be performed daily. Stool samples will be collected for three days, with the nonabsorbable blue dye marker method used to track the specific stool produced during this period. These stool samples will be freeze-dried, formed into pellets, and analyzed using the Parr 6200 Isoperibol Calorimeter to measure their energy content.
The secondary objective is to evaluate the sustainability of enteral feeding practices by assessing the amount of waste generated, such as unused nutritional formulas and tubing. This includes quantifying food waste in the hospital, focusing on nutrition that is not consumed, absorbed, or excreted.
By understanding the actual energy absorption in ICU survivors, this study aims to provide insights that will optimize nutritional strategies, improve patient recovery, and contribute to cost-effective, environmentally sustainable healthcare practices.
Interventions
- Other caloric intake measurement
Detailed daily tracking of the enteral feeding provided to each patient, inclusing the type and amount of nutritional formula administered. Apart from the enteral intake, supplemental calories provided by infusion (e.g. glucose) will be recorded to ensure accurate measurement of caloric intake. - Procedure stool sample collection
* a nonabsorbable blue dye marker will be administered at the start and end of the stool collection period to precisely indentify the stool produced within a specific time frame. * stool will be collected for three days. Each sample will be collected, weighted and labeled with the date and time, then stored at -20°C. * only stool samples from the appearance of the first dye marker to the appearance of the second dye marker will be saved and analyzed. * bomb calorimetry preparation * blending - Other energy expenditure measurement
performing indirect calorimetry to measure the REE of each patient
Primary outcome measures
- caloric absorption efficiency [Time frame: From screening to study completion for the patient, on average 3 days]
- Resting Energy Expenditure (REE) [Time frame: From screening to study completion for the patient, on average 3 days]
Secondary outcome measures (3)
- Nutrient Absorption Efficiency [Time frame: From screening to study completion for the patient, on average 3 days]
- Waste Generation from Enteral Feeding Solutions and Tubing [Time frame: From screening to study completion for the patient, on average 3 days]
- Overall Food Waste in Hospitals [Time frame: From screening to study completion for the patient, on average 3 days]
Eligibility criteria
Inclusion criteria
- age of 18 years or older
- minimum ICU stay of 7 days
- fully dependent on enteral feeding (nasogastric or PEG-tube)
- ability of the patient or representative to understand and sign written informed consent in Dutch, French or English
Exclusion criteria
- known inflammatory bowel disease
- known malabsorptive gastrointestinal disease
- history of small bowel resection
- concomitant use of serotoninergic or sympathomimetic medications (oa. setrone, tryptans, antidepressants, methylphenidate, monoamine oxidase inhibitors, tramadol)
Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.
Healthy volunteers: No
Study design
- Allocation
- N/A
- Model
- Single group
- Masking
- Open label
- Primary purpose
- Supportive care
Study locations
Belgium · 2 centers
- UZ Brussel — Brussels
- UZ Brussel — Jette
Identifiers
NCT: NCT06923813 · STICKY