P406 - INADEQUATE ENERGY INTAKE DURING THE TRANSITION FROM ICU TO GENERAL WARD: IMPLICATIONS FOR A STRUCTURED NUTRITION PROTOCOL IN POST-ICU CARE

P406

INADEQUATE ENERGY INTAKE DURING THE TRANSITION FROM ICU TO GENERAL WARD: IMPLICATIONS FOR A STRUCTURED NUTRITION PROTOCOL IN POST-ICU CARE

G. YI^1,*, Y.-J. Jung¹, Y.-H. Jun ¹, S.-K. Hong¹

¹Division of Acute Care Surgery, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Korea, Republic Of

Rationale: Nutritional support during the early post-ICU period is often overlooked, despite its importance in recovery from critical illness. Oral feeding typically begins after ICU discharge, but this transition may reduce energy intake, particularly if artificial nutrition is discontinued prematurely. We aimed to evaluate trends in energy target achievement after ICU discharge and assess the impact of continued supplemental parenteral nutrition (SPN).

Methods: This retrospective cohort study included adult ICU patients at a tertiary hospital between October and December 2024, with ICU stays >4 days and subsequent ward transfer. Nutritional requirements were determined by the Nutrition Support Team. Energy intake in the ward was calculated using oral and parenteral (including SPN) intake from electronic records. Adequacy was assessed on ward days 1, 3, 7, and the day before discharge. Patients were grouped by whether SPN continued after oral feeding began. Descriptive statistics were used to compare trends and outcomes between groups.

Results: Among patients who achieved nutritional goals in the ICU, the proportion meeting ≥80% of energy needs declined during the ward stay: 92.0% on day 1, 87.0% on day 3, 83.3% on day 7, and 63.2% before discharge (p = 0.045). The decline was greater in patients not receiving SPN. On day 3, 100.0% of patients with SPN met energy targets compared to 16.7% without; on day 7, the rates were 100.0% and 40.0%, respectively.

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Conclusion: Nutritional support during the post-ICU phase, alongside rehabilitation, is essential but often neglected. Discontinuation of supplemental nutrition without adequate evaluation of oral intake may result in energy deficits. These findings highlight the need for continued attention and structured nutrition strategies to support recovery in post-ICU patients.

Disclosure of Interest: None declared