Table 3.
Prevention and treatment of malnutrition and cachexia in COVID-19 patients
| Energy | Protein | Other recommendations |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-intubation and/or oral diet | ||
| 25–30 kcal/kg (105–126 kJ/kg) | 1·0 g/kg | It should be individually adjusted regarding nutritional status, physical activity level, disease status and tolerance |
| Intubation and/or enteral diet | ||
| 21–30 kcal/kg (88–126 kJ/kg) (eutrophic) | 1·2–2·5 g/kg | For patients with gastric residuals above 500 ml, the ESPEN guidelines(83) recommend placement of a post-pyloric feeding tube as soon as possible |
| 11–25 kcal/kg (46–105 kJ/kg) (obese) | ||
| <20 kcal/kg (<84 kJ/kg) (parenteral nutrition) | 1·3 g/kg (parenteral nutrition) | |
| Rehabilitation | ||
| 25–30 kcal/kg (105–126 kJ/kg) | 0·8–1·2 g/kg | Leucine: 3 %/d |
| l-Carnitine: 2–4 g/d orally | ||
| n-3 (EPA): 2 g/d | ||
| HMB: 1·5–3 g/d (along with exercise stimulation) | ||
ESPEN, European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism; HMB, β-hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate.