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Early Goal-Directed Nutrition in ICU Patients - EAT-ICU Trial

Early Goal-Directed Nutrition in ICU Patients - EAT-ICU Trial

Status
Completed
Phases
Phase 4
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT01372176
Acronym
EAT-ICU
Enrollment
203
Registered
2011-06-13
Start date
2013-06-30
Completion date
2016-11-30
Last updated
2017-01-05

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Critical Illness, Intensive Care (ICU) Myopathy, Loss of Physical Function, Mechanical Ventilation, Muscle Wasting

Keywords

Intensive care unit, Critical illness, Mortality, Reduced quality of life, Loss of lean body mass, Loss of physical function, Optimised nutritional support, Early initiation of nutrition, Indirect calorimetry

Brief summary

An increasing number of patients survive critical illness and intensive care, but describe having impaired physical function several years after discharge as a consequence of extensive loss of muscle mass. Reasons for loss of muscle mass and physical function are multiple, but insufficient nutrition is likely to contribute. This randomised trial will investigate the effect of an optimised nutrition therapy during intensive care, on short term clinical outcome and physical quality of life. We hypothesise, that early nutritional therapy, directed towards patient-specific goals for energy and protein requirements, will improve both short- and long-term outcomes.

Interventions

OTHEREarly Goal-Directed Nutrition

1. Initiation of early supplementary parenteral nutrition (≤ 24 hours of admission). 2. Measurement of requirements (indirect calorimetry, 24-hour urinary urea) leading to patient-specific, individualised and goal-directed nutritional therapy. 3. Intervention goal: delivering 100% of patient-specific requirements, measured or calculated throughout entire admission (EN+PN).

OTHERASPEN-guidelines

EN will be the preferred route of nutrition, and will be initiated within the first 24 hours of ICU admission, in accordance with best evidence. The amount is gradually increased over the first days of admission as tolerated by the patient (assessed from gastric aspirates). If EN fails to reach calculated goals at day 7, supplementary PN will be initiated at admission day 8 to reach goals. Protein and energy goals will be calculated as 25 kcal/kg/day and 1.2 g protein/kg/day.

Sponsors

University of Copenhagen
CollaboratorOTHER
Fresenius Kabi
CollaboratorINDUSTRY
European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism
CollaboratorOTHER
Rigshospitalet, Denmark
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Masking
SINGLE (Outcomes Assessor)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Acutely admitted to the ICU * Expected length of stay in ICU \> 3 days * Mechanically ventilated, which enables indirect calorimetry * Have central venous catheter wherein TPN can be administered * Written proxy consent obtained (proxy consent defined as consent from two doctors, who are independent of the trial) * Must be able to understand Danish

Exclusion criteria

* Contraindications to use enteral nutrition * Contraindications to use parenteral nutrition, eg. hypersensitivity towards fish-, egg or peanut protein, or any of the active substances in the PN products * Receiving a special diet * Burns \> 10% total body surface area * Severe hepatic failure (Child-Pugh class C) or severe hepatic dysfunction: Bilirubin ≥ 50 µmol/l (3 mg/dl) + alanine aminotransferase ≥ 3 times upper reference value * Traumatic brain injury * Diabetic ketoacidosis * Hyperosmolar non-ketotic acidosis * Known or suspected hyperlipidemia * BMI below 17 or severe malnutrition * Pregnancy * The clinician finds that the patient is too deranged (circulation, respiration, electrolytes etc.) or that death is imminent

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Physical function6 months after randomisationPhysical function 6 months after randomisation (physical component summary (PCS)-score of SF-36, conducted as phone-interview by a person blinded to the intervention

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Survival status for all patients6 months
New organ failure in the ICUFollowed until ICU discharge, an expected average of 21 daysSOFA score above 3 in every category ex. Glasgow Coma Scale Score
Metabolic controlFollowed until ICU discharge, an expected average of 21 daysAccumulated insulin administration to maintain B-glucose ≤10 mmol/l and rates of severe hyper- and hypoglycaemia (B-glucose \>15 mmol/l or ≤2.2 mmol/l, respectively)
New onset of renal replacement therapyFollowed until ICU discharge, an expected average of 21 days
Accumulated energy- and protein balanceFollowed until ICU discharge, an expected average of 21 days
Length of stay in ICUUp to 52 weeksAmong survivors
Length of stay in hospitalUp to 52 weeksAmong survivors
Mortality28 days
Health related quality of life6 months after randomisationAssessed by SF-36 questionnaire
Rate of nosocomial infectionsFollowed until ICU discharge, an expected average of 21 daysDefined in six subcategories by a person blinded for the intervention
Percent days alive without inotropic/vasopressor support at day 90Up to 90 days
Percent days alive without renal replacement therapy at day 90Up to 90 days
Percent days alive without mechanical ventilation at day 90Up to 90 days
Cost analysesUp to 52 weeks
Serious adverse reactions in ICUUp to 52 weeksSevere allergic reactions or elevated levels of liver enzymes in plasma

Countries

Denmark

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Mar 9, 2026