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Australasian Society of Enteral and Parenteral Nutrition. Nutrition management for critically and acutely unwell hospitalised patients with COVID-19 in Australia and New Zealand. V1. 2020. https://tinyurl.com/re2g2t4 (accessed 14 April 2020)

British Association for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (BAPEN). COVID-19 and enteral tube feeding safety. 2020. https://tinyurl.com/vj3ezds (ccessed 14 April 2020)

British Dietetic Association. Critical Care Specialist Group guidance on management of nutrition and dietetic services during the COVID-19 pandemic. 2020a. https://tinyurl.com/reacaba (accessed 14 April 2020)

British Dietetic Association. Critical Care Specialist Group COVID-19 best practice guidance: enteral feeding in prone position. 2020b. https://tinyurl.com/uvb282a (accessed 14 April 2020)

Linn D, Beckett R, Foellinger K. Administration of enteral nutrition to adult patients in the prone position. Intensive Crit Care Nurs. 2015; 31:(1)38-43 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iccn.2014.07.002

Managing Adult Malnutrition in the Community Expert Panel. Malnutrition pathway. Managing malnutrition in COPD. 2020. https://tinyurl.com/tpwrph3 (accessed 14 April 2020)

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Providing nutritional support for the patient with COVID-19

23 April 2020
Focus
02 April 2020
Volume 29 · Issue 8

COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by a newly discovered coronavirus (World Health Organization (WHO), 2020).

Most people who it affects will experience mild-to-moderate respiratory symptoms and should recover. However, as we are sadly aware, some people will experience severe respiratory symptoms and many will be admitted to hospital very ill, in respiratory failure, needing specialised support and care.

Because COVID-19 is such a new disease, it is not possible to write specific nutritional guidance for these patients, so the best way is to manage their nutrition as you would treat any patient with severe respiratory disease.

The British Dietetic Association (BDA) (2020a) has developed useful and pragmatic guidance for dietitians to follow. However, what about the nursing staff who will be caring for these patients? How can we ensure that our patients continue to be well nourished during this time of isolation?

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