Effect of High Versus Standard Protein Intake in Critically Ill Patients With Acute Kidney Injury Requiring Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy

Summary

During critical illness, patients experience a hypercatabolic state. This hypercatabolic state causes muscle wasting in patients, resulting in intensive care unit acquired weakness (ICU-AW). ICU-AW is associated with prolonged mechanical ventilation (MV) weaning, extubating failure and extended length of stay. Previously recognized risk factors for ICU-AW include shock, sepsis, multiple organ failure, hyperglycemia, and prolonged exposure to corticosteroids, sedatives, or paralytic agents.

Critical illness is complicated by the development of acute kidney injury (AKI). AKI causes muscle wasting by increasing protein degradation and decreasing protein synthesis. Furthermore, patients with severe AKI often require renal replacement therapy (RRT), which contributes to additional protein loss. Studies have estimated that amino acid losses associated with RRT may range from 5 to 19 g/d, with greater losses observed in patients undergoing continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT). AKI requiring CRRT has recently been proposed to contribute to an increased risk of ICU-AW.

Therefore, critically ill patients with AKI may require increased protein intake to compensate for these metabolic alterations. However, higher protein intake, particularly during the early acute phase of critical illness, may be associated with prolonged need for RRT or delayed kidney recovery.

The objective of this trial is to compare the effects of a high protein intake versus a standard protein intake on muscle mass change in critically ill patients with AKI requiring CRRT.

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if high protein intake (1.5-1.7 g/kg/d) can reduce ICU associated weakness in critically ill patients with AKI requiring CRRT. The main questions it aims to answer is:

• Does High protein intake (1.5-1.7 g/kg/d) reduce the change in RF-CSA, as measured by ultrasonography at day 7 in critically ill patients with AKI requiring CRRT Researchers will compare drug high protein intake to standard protein intake to see if high protein intake effect on muscle mass by ultrasonography.

Participants will:

* Receive high protein group (1.5-1.7 g/kg/d) in High protein group and standard protein intake (1.0-1.2 g/kg/d) in control group for 7 days
* Rectus femoris ultrasonography was performed twice on day 1 and day 7

Conditions

• Acute Kidney Failure Stage 3
• Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy (CRRT)

Interventions

OTHER

High protein group

Patients will receive enteral nutrition via feeding tube. The nutrition provided is a medical nutrition formula with a protein proportion of 7.5 g/100 kcal with caloric content 1.2 kcal/ml.

OTHER

Standard protein group

Patients will receive enteral nutrition via feeding tube. The nutrition provided is a medical nutrition formula with a protein proportion of 5 g/100 kcal with caloric content 1.2 kcal/ml

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Chulalongkorn University

  lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

DOUBLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2026-07-01

Primary Completion

2027-03-31

Completion

2027-06-30

Countries

• Thailand

Study Locations