Vol 3, No 3 (2022)

BACKGROUND: Fluid therapy in the intensive care unit is not only one of the most common components of therapy but also one of the most controversial and widely discussed. The choice of volume and type of infusion is a multifactorial issue. Currently, the search continues for a convenient non-invasive method that can be used to assess the water composition of the patient’s body.

AIM: To analyze the distribution of fluid sectors in patients with chronic critical illness using bioimpedance with standard fluid therapy.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included 63 patients with chronic critical illness (CCI) after brain damage (men, n=28; women, n=35; average age, 54±19 years). According to nosology, 22 patients had ischemic stroke; 17, traumatic brain injury; 14, hemorrhagic stroke; 7, condition after brain surgery; and 2, post-hypoxic conditions. The study was conducted in the morning before breakfast using the analyzer of bioimpedance metabolic processes and body composition ABC-02 “Medass.” A total of 140 measurements were conducted.

RESULTS: In most cases, the volume of the total body water (TBW) in patients was within the age and sex norm (78.6%); however, the volume of extracellular water (ECW) reached normal values only in 45.7%. Moreover, both indicators were simultaneously within the normal range only in 44.3%. In addition, TBW and ECW did not coincide at 35.7%. The most common option was an increase in ECW while maintaining a normal TBW (24.3%). When conducting a correlation analysis of TBW and ECW indicators with biochemical blood test data (a decrease in the total protein level and albumin level), the strength of the relationship between the correlation coefficients of the samples on the Chaddock scale turned out to be very weak for all options considered.

CONCLUSIONS: In patients in CCI after brain damage, there may be an accumulation of water in the extracellular space without visible edema in >50% of the patients, whereas the TBW indicator is within the age and sex norm in 24.3%. This indicator does not depend on either the level of hypoproteinemia and hypoalbuminemia.

This study discusses the 2021 ESPEN Practical Guidelines for Nutritional Support in Oncology. The updated version of the 2021 ESPEN practice guidelines differs slightly from the 2017 version and contains flowcharts to facilitate the use of the guidelines in clinical practice, which is also relevant for domestic healthcare. ESPEN-2021 Clinical Guidelines, which offer practical solutions in all areas of oncology, are of particular interest to both oncologists and allied specialists working in oncology. The first part of the review discusses general recommendations for nutritional support for patients with cancer and the possibility of their use in our country: screening of nutritional status at the initial visit, indications for prescribing additional nutrition, benefits of one or another type of nutritional support in various situations, norms for providing macronutrients, vitamins, and minerals, and need for physical activity. This practical guide forms an algorithm of actions to ensure optimal nutrition for patients with cancer. The general principles of nutritional therapy for all patients with cancer are based on timely screening for nutritional deficiencies and adherence to appropriate nutritional support of patients, which can be achieved by modifying the diet or prescribing additional nutrition, mainly enteral nutrition.

Osteoporosis is the most common age-related skeletal diseases, which is characterized by the rapid loss of bone mineral density and increased risk of fragility fractures. The social significance of osteoporosis is attributed to its complications, which increase disability and mortality rates mostly among older people. Inadequate dietary calcium intake and vitamin D deficiency are well-known risk factors for osteoporosis. Thus, for many years, calcium and vitamin D have been considered crucial in the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis. However, in recent years, the efficacy and safety of calcium and vitamin D have been questioned because some randomized clinical trials have reported only a weak positive effect of calcium with or without vitamin on reducing fragility fracture risks. On the contrary, besides the gastrointestinal side effects of calcium supplements and the risk of kidney stones related to the co-administration of calcium and vitamin D supplements, other recent data suggested that calcium supplementation has potential adverse cardiovascular effects. This study focused on the evidence regarding the possible usefulness for bone health and the potential harmful effects of calcium and/or calcium with vitamin D supplementation.