Hospitalization and nutrition in a positive Covid patient
COVID-19 disease, caused by SARS-CoV-2 virus infection, can lead to
manifestations even severe clinics such as pneumonia with respiratory
failure, respiratory distress syndrome acute (ARDS), sepsis and septic
shock, which require urgent hospitalization in ICU. ARDS in particular
manifests itself as a serious failure hypoxic respiratory accompanied by
inflammation, pulmonary edema and risk of dysfunction multi-organ and is
often required mechanical ventilation invasive. Generally patients who
died from SARS-CoV-2 infection they have an average age of 78 years and
3 or more comorbidities including chronic non-pathologies transmissible
diseases such as ischemic heart disease, hypertension, diabetes and
chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
This is why COVID-19 is the new β-coronavirus, which can lead to various
pulmonary phenomena and death (~ 10%) and represents a
global health challenge. Medical nutrition therapy is among the pillars
of therapeutic principles and a fundamental tool among global
therapeutic measures for patients with COVID-19.
Malnourished people with low immunity and chronic diseases have a worse
higher prognosis and mortality rates. The relevance of nutritional
therapy is important and should be implemented as a first-line treatment
and implemented in the anti-Covid-19 clinical practice standard. Good
nutrition not only provides the body with immunity to disease, including
COVID-19, but it is also the main guarantee for the promotion of the
recovery of the disease and the infected patient. However, the
indications for nutritional therapy must be tailored. Nutritionists
should pay attention to the most appropriate artificial nutrition (AN)
approach with enteral nutrition (EN) or parenteral nutrition (PN). Plan,
the method, route and formula of nutritional therapy must be adapted
dynamically and promptly in accordance with the clinical characteristics
of the patient COVID-19. The transition between ONS, EN and PN should be
fluid, following the principle that when the EN can satisfy 50% of the
target demand, the PN can be constantly reduced and carried out
arrested; when the ONS can satisfy 50% of the target demand, the EN it
can be progressively reduced and therefore arrested.