Nutrition care practice patterns for patients with COVID-19 - A preliminary report.

Background Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a respiratory virus that poses risks to the nutritional status and survival of infected patients, yet there is paucity of data to inform evidence-based quality care. Methods We collected data on the nutrition care provided to patients with Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) by Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDNs). Results Hospitalized COVID-19 patients (N = 101) in this cohort were older adults and had elevated body mass index (BMI). The most frequent nutrition problems were inadequate oral intake (46.7%), inadequate energy intake (18.9%), and malnutrition (18.4%). These problems were managed predominantly with enteral nutrition, food supplements, and multivitamin-multimineral supplement therapy. Over 90% of documented problems required follow-up. Conclusion This dataset is the first of its kind to report on the types of nutrition diagnoses and interventions for COVID-19 cases used by RDNs and highlights the need for increased and continued nutrition care. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.