Figure 1: Enteral nutritional support in the positive covid patient.
Advanced age and comorbidity is related to fragility, a syndrome characterized by reduction of functional reserves and decreased resistance to stress. Fragility is connected with loss weight and malnutrition and acute hospitalization without adequate nutritional support can worsen one situation already compromised. All patients hospitalized for more than 48 hours, regardless of the index of initial body mass (BMI) and age, are at risk of malnutrition and need timely and appropriate nutritional intervention. Prolonged hospitalization following catabolism and immobilization, induces a decrease in weight and muscle mass that can result in sarcopenia, condition which in turn helps to reduce respiratory and cardiac function, prolong the hospitalization of the patient and worse prognosis. So counter or prevent malnutrition hospital by improving the patient’s response to therapy and facilitating healthcare professionals in the hospital nutrition management by reducing the already high workload due to the state of emergency.
Most patients have severe inflammation and anorexia which leads to one drastic reduction of food intake which then leads to a respiratory failure treated with continuous positive airway pressure. High calorie diets must be readily provided. Oral integration of whey protein and intravenous infusion of multivitamin and multimineral solutions must be implemented at the time of admission. If respiratory conditions worsen, total parenteral nutrition should be considered. To cope with the current emergency crisis, nutritional assistance must be implemented promptly and pragmatically in patients with COVID-19 because it could be neglected although it is necessary for the benefit of clinical and effective results in preventing the consequences of malnutrition in this patient population.