A study published this week in Critical Care Medicine, “Greater Protein and Energy Intake May Be Associate with Improved Mortality in Higher Risk Critically Ill Patients” (Crit Care Med 2017;45:156-163) concluded that “patients who have a higher NUTRIC score at ICU admission may benefit most significantly from greater protein and/or energ
y on 60-day mortality and ‘time to discharge alive” (TDA).
The study reported that on average the ICU patients received only 64.5% of goal protein requirements equaling an average of only 57 grams of protein per day. On average, 1.2 g/kg of protein was used to estimate protein needs. Doing the math, patients in the study would need an addition of an average of 33 grams per day of a modular protein supplement to reach 100% of protein goal.
Modular whey protein powders contain only 6 grams of protein per serving which then has to be dissolved in 60 mL of water for tube feed application. This means the patient would need nearly 6 scoops of protein powder in 360 mL of water.
The easy alternative would be to use ProSource TF which contains 11 grams of protein per 45mL packet. The patient would only need 3 packets of ProSource TF and since it is water thin, additional liquid is not required. Nursing saves time and labor during administration and the risk of a clogged tube from un-dissolved protein powder is completely eliminated.
ProSource TF osmolality is virtually isotonic at 380 mOsm/ kg water while other brands of liquid protein use glycerin for calories which results in high osmolalities between 2,500 – 4,000 mOsm/kg water. This is why many facilities that use liquid proteins that contain glycerin have patients who experience high incidences of diarrhea.
Write to info@medtrition.com for your free sample of ProSource TF. The #1 choice in modular protein for tube feeding.
