title: Refeeding syndrome: a forgotten and potentially lethal entity.
abstract: Refeeding syndrome (RS) is defined as the fluid, electrolyte, metabolic, and clinical disturbances that occur after nutrition of patients who have been undernourished or fasting for a prolonged period. This syndrome has been recognized for several decades but is most often overlooked and underdiagnosed by health professionals. The authors report a RS in a patient subjected to prolonged fasting after being kidnapped by a criminal gang. Refeeding resulted in severe hypophosphatemia, neurological impairments, and hematologic disorders. The patient died due to septic shock with multiple organ failure secondary to aspiration pneumonia. In this case, the failure to recognize RS was decisive in the fatal outcome. Professionals must be aware of this disease to prevent and treat it properly.
authors.affiliation: Département d'anesthésie réanimation. hôpital militaire Avicenne, avenue de la Résistance, 40000 Marrakech, Maroc Université Cadi Ayyad, faculté de médecine et de pharmacie, Marrakech, Maroc.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Aissaoui
authors.affiliation: Département d'anesthésie réanimation. hôpital militaire Avicenne, avenue de la Résistance, 40000 Marrakech, Maroc Université Cadi Ayyad, faculté de médecine et de pharmacie, Marrakech, Maroc.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hammi
authors.affiliation: Département d'anesthésie réanimation. hôpital militaire Avicenne, avenue de la Résistance, 40000 Marrakech, Maroc Université Cadi Ayyad, faculté de médecine et de pharmacie, Marrakech, Maroc.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tagajdid
authors.affiliation: Département d'anesthésie réanimation. hôpital militaire Avicenne, avenue de la Résistance, 40000 Marrakech, Maroc Université Cadi Ayyad, faculté de médecine et de pharmacie, Marrakech, Maroc.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chkoura
authors.affiliation: Département d'anesthésie réanimation. hôpital militaire Avicenne, avenue de la Résistance, 40000 Marrakech, Maroc Université Cadi Ayyad, faculté de médecine et de pharmacie, Marrakech, Maroc.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Boughalem
mesh_terms: D017809:Fatal Outcome; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D055677:Refeeding Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis*
keywords: Morocco; complications; hyphosphatemia; malnutrition; parenteral and enteral nutrition; refeeding syndrome