[Nutrition and malnutrition in the intensive coronary care unit. Fundamentals for the clinical cardiologist].
Patients admitted to coronary care units (CCU) have largely changed in the last decades. As observed in national and international registries, they are older, with different degrees of disability and several comorbidities. Moreover, they often undergo complex procedures. In this scenario, the cardiologist of the CCU has to deal with multidisciplinarity that should involve physiology and pathophysiology of nutrition. Despite the lack of specific data about our CCUs, hospital malnutrition is indeed a common entity that can reach a prevalence of 50% in elderly patients aged more than 75 years old. Malnutrition has several consequences in CCU patients since it involves respiratory drive, immune system and, clinically, patients have longer CCU stay and more complications. Briefly, malnutrition has a significant impact on their final outcome. In the clinical arena, the main issues for CCU physicians are the nutritional screening tools to promote an early recognition of patients with malnutrition, the pathophysiological knowledge of nutrition for a correct interaction with nutritionists, and the way of administration with its major complications. The changes in the population within CCUs are relatively recent and, although specific data in the cardiology setting are still scarce, nutrition science has reached a high level of knowledge to understand and plan tailored nutritional schemes based on the clinical and demographic features of our sick patients.
Cardiologia, Ospedale San Luca, Lucca.
Daria
D
Brogi
Master Nutrizione e Dietetica, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona; Clinica di Medicina Interna e Geriatria, INRCA, Ancona.
Emma
E
Espinosa
Cardiologia, Ospedale Unico della Versilia, Lido di Camaiore (LU).
Alessio
A
Lilli
Cardiologia, Ospedale San Luca, Lucca.
Francesco Maria
FM
Bovenzi
Master Nutrizione e Dietetica, Sezione di Biochimica, Dipartimento di Scienze Cliniche Specialistiche ed Odontostomatologiche, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona.
Maurizio
M
Battino
D002309:Cardiology; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D018529:Nutritional Support