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Impact of Early Low-Calorie Low-Protein Versus Standard Feeding on Outcomes of Ventilated Adults With Shock

Impact of Early Low-Calorie Low-Protein Versus Standard-Calorie Standard-Protein Feeding on Outcomes of Ventilated Adults With Shock: a Randomised, Controlled, Multicentre, Open-label, Parallel-group Study (NUTRIREA-3)

Status
Completed
Phases
Unknown
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT03573739
Acronym
NUTRIREA3
Enrollment
3044
Registered
2018-06-29
Start date
2018-07-05
Completion date
2021-12-24
Last updated
2026-09-14

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

Conditions

Critical Illness, Critical Illness Myopathy, Mechanical Ventilation, Nosocomial Infection, Shock

Brief summary

Among critically ill patients requiring mechanical ventilation and catecholamines for shock, nearly 40% to 50% die, and functional recovery is often delayed in survivors. International guidelines include early nutritional support (≤48 h after admission), 20-25 kcal/kg/d at the acute phase, and 1.2-2 g/kg/d protein. These targets are rarely achieved in patients with severe critically illnesses. Recent data challenge the wisdom of providing standard amounts of calories and protein during the acute phase of critical illness. Studies designed to improve enteral nutrition delivery showed no outcome benefits with higher intakes. Instead, adding parenteral nutrition to increase intakes was associated with longer ICU stays and more infectious complications. Studies suggest that higher protein intakes during the acute phase may be associated with greater muscle wasting and ICU-acquired weakness. The optimal calorie and protein supply at the acute phase of severe critical illness remains unknown. NUTRIREA-3 will be the first trial to compare standard calorie and protein feeding complying with guidelines to low-calorie low-protein feeding potentially associated with improved muscle preservation, translating into shorter mechanical ventilation and ICU-stay durations, lower ICU-acquired infection rates, lower mortality, and better long-term clinical outcomes. This multicentre, randomized, controlled, open trial will compare, in patients receiving mechanical ventilation and treated with vasoactive agent for shock two strategies for initiating nutritional support at the acute phase of ICU management (D0-D7): early calorie/protein restriction (6 kcal/kg/d/0.2-0.4 g/kg/d, Low group) or standard calorie/protein targets (25 kcal/kg/d/1.0-1.3 g/kg/d, Standard group). Patients in both groups will receive enteral or parenteral nutrition appropriate for their critical illness. Two alternative primary end-points will be evaluated: all-cause mortality by day 90 and time to discharge alive from the ICU. Second end-points will be calories and proteins delivered, nosocomial infections, gastro-intestinal complications, glucose control, liver dysfunctions, muscle function at the time of readiness for ICU discharge and quality of life at 3 months and 1 year after study inclusion.

Interventions

PROCEDURElow-calorie low-protein

In the low-calorie low-protein (Low) group, the calorie target will be 6 kcal/kg/day and the protein target 0.2-0.4 g/kg/d during the acute phase, i.e. from D0 to D7. On D8, the calorie target will be 30 kcal/kg/d and the protein target 1.2-2.0 g/kg/d.

PROCEDUREstandard-calorie/standard-protein

In the standard-calorie/standard-protein (Standard) group, the first-line calorie target calculated based on body weight is 25 kcal/kg/day and the protein target 1.0-1.3 g/kg/d during the acute phase, i.e. from D0 to D7. On D8, the calorie target will be 30 kcal/kg/d and the protein target 1.2-2.0 g/kg/d.

Sponsors

Nantes University Hospital
Lead SponsorOTHER
Ministry of Health, France
CollaboratorOTHER_GOV
University Hospital, Tours
CollaboratorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
NONE

Intervention model description

This multicentre randomised controlled open trial compares two parallel groups of patients receiving mechanical ventilation and vasoactive amine therapy and given early nutritional support according to one of two strategies: early calorie/protein restriction (6 kcal/kg/d/0.2-0.4 g/kg/d: Low group) or standard calorie/protein targets (25 kcal/kg/d/1.0-1.3g/kg/d: Standard group) at the acute phase of ICU management (D0-D7).

Eligibility

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

Inclusion criteria

* Invasive mechanical ventilation started in the ICU within the past 24 h, or started before ICU admission with ICU admission within the past 24 h, for an expected duration of at least 48 hours after inclusion * Treatment with a vasoactive agent for shock (adrenaline, dobutamine, or noradrenaline) * Nutritional support expected to be started within 24 h after intubation or within 24 h after ICU admission when mechanical ventilation was started before ICU admission * Age older than 18 years * Patient and/or next-of-kin informed about the study and having consented to participation in the study. If the patient is unable to receive information and no next-of-kin can be contacted during screening for the study, trial inclusion will be completed as an emergency procedure by the ICU physician, in compliance with the French law.

Exclusion criteria

* Specific nutritional needs, such as pre-existing long-term home enteral or parenteral nutrition, for chronic bowel disease * Dying patient, not-to-be-resuscitated order, or other treatment limitation decision at ICU admission * Pregnancy, recent delivery, or lactation * Adult under guardianship * Department of corrections inmate

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Time to discharge alive from the ICU.From date of ICU admission until the date of first documented date when predefined clinical conditions for ICU discharge are fulfilled, an average of 10 days.A patient will be considered ready for ICU discharge by the bedside physicians as soon as all predefined clinical conditions for ICU discharge are fulfilled, regardless of ward-bed availability.
D-90 mortality90 daysAll-cause mortality by day 90

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Number of calories (in kcal) delivered daily enterally and/or parenterallyfrom day 0 to day 7
Ratio of prescribed over calories deliveredfrom day 0 to day 7Ratio (as a %) of prescribed over calories delivered daily enterally and/or parenterally
Proportion of patients who achieved their calorie targetfrom day 0 to day 7Proportion of patients who achieved their calorie target
Protein supplyfrom day 0 to day 7Protein supply (g) given daily enterally and/or parenterally
Volume of fluidsfrom day 0 to day 7Volume of fluids (in mL) received daily
Changes in Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) scorefrom day 0 to day 7SOFA scores can range from 0 (no organ failure) to 24 (most severe level of multi-organ failure).
Changes in daily maximum blood glucose levelsfrom day 0 to day 7
Proportion of patients with hypoglycaemiafrom day 0 to day 7
insulin dosefrom day 0 to day 7Total insulin dose received daily
insulin treatmentfrom day 0 to readiness for ICU discharge, an average of 10 daysDays on insulin treatment
Proportion of patients with at least one ICU-acquired infection.from day 0 to readiness for ICU discharge, an average of 10 days
Proportion of patients with each type ICU-acquired infectionfrom day 0 to readiness for ICU discharge, an average of 10 dayse.g. (Ventilator-associated pneumonia, bacteremia, Central venous catheter-related infections, Urinary tract infections, soft tissue infections).
Proportion of patients with at least one episode of vomiting or regurgitation while on mechanical ventilationfrom day 0 to extubation, an average of 7 days
Proportion of patients with at least one episode of liver dysfunction during follow-upfrom day 0 to readiness for ICU discharge, an average of 10 days
Proportion of patients with at least one episode of diarrhoeafrom day 0 to extubation, an average of 7 daysdefined as liquid stools in a volume greater than 300 mL/24 hours in patients with a faecal collector or as more than four loose stools/24 hours
Proportion of patients with at least one episode of constipationfrom day 0 to extubation, an average of 7 daysno stool for more than 6 days
Proportion of patients with at least one documented episode of bowel ischaemiafrom day 0 to readiness for ICU discharge, an average of 10 days
Mean changes in serum albuminfrom day 0 to day 7 and readiness for ICU discharge, an average of 10 daysmeasured at baseline, at the end of mechanical ventilation, on day 7 (in patients on mechanical ventilation for more than 7 days), and at ICU discharge
Mean changes in serum pre-albuminfrom day 0 to day 7 and readiness for ICU discharge, an average of 10 daysmeasured at baseline, at the end of mechanical ventilation, on day 7 (in patients on mechanical ventilation for more than 7 days), and at ICU discharge
Changes in serum C-reactive protein (CRP)from day 0 to day 7 and readiness for ICU discharge, an average of 10 daysmeasured at baseline, at the end of mechanical ventilation, on day 7 (in patients on mechanical ventilation for more than 7 days), and at ICU discharge
Changes in mean body weightfrom day 0 to day 7 and readiness for ICU discharge, an average of 10 daysdetermined at baseline, on day 7, and at ICU discharge
Hospital stayfrom day 0 to hospital discharge, an average of 23 daysHospital stay length (days in hospital)
Duration of mechanical ventilationfrom day 0 to extubation, an average of 7 daysDays on mechanical ventilation
ICU mortalityfrom day 0 to ICU discharge, an average of 23 daysProportions of patients dead during the ICU stay
Mortality at day 28from day 0 to day 28Proportions of patients dead until day 28 after randomization
Hospital mortalityfrom day 0 to hospital discharge, an average of 23 daysProportions of patients dead during the hospital stay
Proportions of patients mobilizedfrom day 0 to day 7Evaluation of mobilisation during the ICU stay using predetermined criteria.
Total number of active mobilizationsfrom day 0 to day 7Evaluation of mobilisation during the ICU stay using predetermined criteria.
Muscle functionOn the day of readiness for ICU discharge, an average of 10 daysMuscle function at the time of readiness for ICU discharge as assessed with the Medical Research Council (MRC) score. The MRC score ranges from 0 (no muscle activity) to 60 (normal muscle function).
Proportion of patients with at least one criterion for persistent altered health statusOn the day of readiness for ICU discharge, an average of 10 daysat the time of readiness for ICU discharge
SF-36 score3 months and 1 year after study inclusionThe Short Form (SF)-36 is a multipurpose health survey with 36 questions. Questionnaires will be completed during a phone call to the patient by an independent blinded research nurse or psychologist.

Countries

France, Guadeloupe

Contacts

PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORJean Reignier, MD, PhD

Nantes University Hospital

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Sep 15, 2026