Refeeding Syndrome: Unrecognized in Geriatric Medicine

摘要

Malnutrition is a well-established syndrome in geriatric medicine, affecting, in particular, fragile elderly individuals in the hospital and in long-term care facilities. Compensating for nutritional deficiencies is a constant and prevailing feature of medical management in geriatric care. Conversely, the potential dangers of refeeding are less well known in fragile, elderly individuals as compared with the context of intensive care. Over a 5-month observation period, 5 patients in our geriatric medicine ward (2% of all cases) presented refeeding syndrome (Table 1). We present here an illustrative clinical case, and the typical characteristics of refeeding syndrome, with a relevant review of the literature.