‘Nutritional care important for critically ill patients’

Experts on Tuesday discussed the importance of nutritional care for the critically ill COVID-19 patients.

The Department of Clinical Nutrition, a unit of Madras Medical Mission (MMM), along with the Chennai chapter of NetProFan, organised the 12th annual nutrition meet — Nutriutsav 2020 — on ‘Nutrition care process for the critically ill COVID-19 patients-A multi-disciplinary approach’.

Speaking on nutritional challenges and management of the critically ill COVID-19 patients, B. Ravinder Reddy, gastrointestinal surgeon, CARE Hospital, Hyderabad, said, “While the majority have mild disease, 5% to 10% need intensive care unit admission. The manifestations included cytokine storm, acute respiratory distress syndrome, tissue hypoxia, systemic inflammation, liver and renal dysfunction, reduced organ perfusion and gastrointestinal dysfunction.”