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Severe acute respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation is one of the most frequent reasons for admission to the intensive care unit. Among the most frequent causes for admission are exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and acute respiratory failure with acute lung injury (ALI) or with criteria of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). These patients have a high risk of malnutrition due to the underlying disease, their altered catabolism and the use of mechanical ventilation. Consequently, nutritional evaluation and the use of specialized nutritional support are required. This support should alleviate the catabolic effects of the disease, avoid calorie overload and, in selected patients, to use omega-3 fatty acid- and antioxidant-enriched diets, which could improve outcome., (Copyright © 2011 Sociedad Española de Medicina Intensiva, Critica y Unidades Coronarias (SEMICYUC) and Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.)

Nutritional support in acute renal failure must take into account the patient's catabolism and the treatment of the renal failure. Hypermetabolic failure is common in these patients, requiring continuous renal replacement therapy or daily hemodialysis. In patients with normal catabolism (urea nitrogen below 10 g/day) and preserved diuresis, conservative treatment can be attempted. In these patients, relatively hypoproteic nutritional support is essential, using proteins with high biological value and limiting fluid and electrolyte intake according to the patient's individual requirements. Micronutrient intake should be adjusted, the only buffering agent used being bicarbonate. Limitations on fluid, electrolyte and nitrogen intake no longer apply when extrarenal clearance techniques are used but intake of these substances should be modified according to the type of clearance. Depending on their hemofiltration flow, continuous renal replacement systems require high daily nitrogen intake, which can sometimes reach 2.5 g protein/kg. The amount of volume replacement can induce energy overload and therefore the use of glucose-free replacement fluids and glucose-free dialysis or a glucose concentration of 1 g/L, with bicarbonate as a buffer, is recommended. Monitoring of electrolyte levels (especially those of phosphorus, potassium and magnesium) and of micronutrients is essential and administration of these substances should be individually-tailored., (Copyright © 2011 Sociedad Española de Medicina Intensiva, Critica y Unidades Coronarias (SEMICYUC) and Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To compare tolerance of two sources of isocaloric intake (fructose-glucose-xylitol mixture [FGX] versus glucose) in parenteral nutrition for patients with systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS)., Design: Open, prospective, cohort and randomized study., Setting: Intensive Care Unit., Subjects and Methods: Two groups of patients admitted in ICU: acute pneumonia with sepsis, and necro-hemorrhagic pancreatitis. Criteria of exclusion were: diabetes, previous hypertriglyceridemia, renal failure with serum creatinine > 3 mg/dL on admission in ICU, or hyperbilirrubinemia > 2.5 mg/dL. Parenteral nutrition (TPN), consisting of 1.4 g AA + Lipids 1.3 g + carbohydrates 4 g/kg/d, (either glucose or FGX at random) was administered. Basal levels and days 1st, 4th and 10th plasma glucose, triglycerides, cholesterol, uric acid were determined, and blood venous gases as well. Capillary glycemia was measured every 6 hours and insulin given if glucose levels rose above 180 mg/dL., Statistics: Fisher's exact test; Student t-test; Mann-Whitney test. Data as mean and SD., Results and Conclusions: During 48 months, 119 patients admitted in the ICU (72 with pneumonia and 47 with pancreatitis) were included. In pneumonia, tolerance was similar with both intakes; glycemia was kept at the same level in both, but the amount of insulin given was significantly more in those patients fed on glucose (p < 0.05). Nevertheless, resting blood glucose and triglyceride levels were higher in pancreatitic patients, and more insulin was required. Those on FGX had lower triglyceride plasma levels (p < 0.05) and less insulin was given throughout the study. Glycemia was kept lower though no statistical significance was reached (p < 0.1). No hyperuricemia nor lactic acidosis was found.