Nutrition Therapy in Critically Ill Overweight Elderly Patient with Heart Failure, Myocardial Infarction, Pneumonia, and Chronic Kidney Disease

Overweight or obesity will increase the risk of morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular disease. In older people, the risk is higher, but also paradoxically associated with lower mortality rates. Overweight patients vary in body composition and when it cou- pled with limited reliable sources to make caloric requirements estimation will make nutri-tion therapy extremely challenging. This case study reveals the nutrition therapy support in critically ill overweight elderly patient with heart failure, myocardial infarction, pneumo- nia, and chronic kidney disease. An 80-year old moderate malnourished male patient (body mass index 24.6 kg/m2) with acute lung edema, cardiogenic shock, myocardial infarction, pneumonia, and chronic kidney disease was admitted in the cardiovascular intensive-care unit. The patient was treated with diuretics, vasopressor support, and antibiotics. Oral intake was reduced due to shortness of breath and loss of appetite. The physical examina- tion revealed basal lung rales, wheezing, muscle wasting, edema. Blood tests showed hyper- kalemia, leucocytosis, depletion of the immune system, hyperuricemia, hypoalbuminemia, and dyslipidemia. The patient was on stage 5 renal failure (GFR 6.2 mL/min) but refused hemodialysis treatment. Nutritional therapy was given gradually with calorie target 1900 kcal and protein 0.6–1.2 g/ideal body weight/d using normal foods, oral nutrition supplement, and amino acids parenteral nutrition. After 13 d of nutritional treatment, the patient was discharged from the hospital with no shortness of breath, adequate nutrition intake, increased renal function (GFR 22.4 mL/min), and improvement of the blood test results (immune status, uric acid, albumin, and lipid profile). Critically ill overweight elderly patients are hypercatabolic and have increased nutrient demands. Nutritional support in these patients is required to provide necessary nutrient substrates and to alter the course and outcome of the disease.