P823 - EARLY ENTERAL NUTRITION AND NEUROLOGICAL OUTCOMES IN CRITICALLY ILL PATIENTS IN THE NEUROICU: A RETROSPECTIVE STUDY

P823

EARLY ENTERAL NUTRITION AND NEUROLOGICAL OUTCOMES IN CRITICALLY ILL PATIENTS IN THE NEUROICU: A RETROSPECTIVE STUDY

H. Mo^1,*, D. W. Shin², D.-H. Ko³, S. B. An²

¹Neurology, Inha University Hospital, Incheon, ²Surgery, ³Internal medicine, Hallym University Dongtan Sacred Hospital, Hwaseong-si, Korea, Republic Of

Rationale: Early enteral nutrition (EN) has been associated with improved outcomes in various critically ill patients, yet its impact in neurocritical care settings remains unclear. This study investigates the association between early EN and neurological outcomes in patients admitted to a NeuroICU.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of adult patients admitted to the NeuroICU of a university hospital from March 2020 to December 2022. Patients with contraindications to EN, early discharge or death (<48h), or no neurological deficits were excluded. Early EN was defined as initiation within 48 hours of admission. Neurological status at admission and discharge, and in-hospital mortality were evaluated.

Results: Of 534 admissions, 246 patients met inclusion criteria (mean age 67.8 years; 63.0% male). Early EN was initiated in 183 patients (74.4%). Patients who did not receive early EN (n=63) had significantly worse initial neurological status and higher mortality (82.5%) compared to those who did receive early EN (12.6%; p < 0.001). Among patients with severe neurologic deficits, early EN was still associated with lower mortality (30.7% vs. 69.3%).

Conclusion: Early enteral nutrition within 48 hours of admission may be associated with improved survival in NeuroICU patients, even among those with severe neurological impairment. Further prospective multicenter studies are warranted to confirm these findings.

Disclosure of Interest: None declared