The Appetite Study
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Nutritional Intake and Appetite after Intensive Care Unit discharge
IRAS ID
250535
Contact name
Judith Merriweather
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Edinburgh
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
NA, NA
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 3 months, 31 days
Research summary
Good nutrition (eating enough, and the right kind of food) is very important to patients that are recovering from serious illness because these patients are often weakened by their illness which causes muscles to reduce in size. Good nutrition helps to restore muscle size and function. Reduced appetite is really common after intensive care and patients report that this prevents them from eating. We intend to undertake a detailed analysis of food intake in patients discharge from intensive care, and work out whether reduced appetite influences food intake.
We intend to calculate food intake (both in terms of the total amount, and also in terms of different types of food (fats, proteins, and carbohydrates)) by studying food charts that are routinely completed for patients recovering in hospital wards, and also by speaking with patients and nurses. We will also ask patients about their appetite in the days following ICU discharge and using a visual analogues scale will quantify this on different time points during their recovery. We will be approach patients in intensive care, or very soon after they go to a ward after intensive care discharge and will study food intake, and appetite for several days following in the post-ICU ward. Data collection will cease after patients leave hospital.
REC name
Scotland A: Adults with Incapacity only
REC reference
19/SS/0005
Date of REC Opinion
24 Jan 2019
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion