The following recommendations apply to patients with COVID–19 infection and may not be considered optimal outside of a pandemic situation. Patients on non-invasive ventilation (NIV) or continuous positive airways pressure (CPAP) often fail to meet nutritional requirements orally. Poor nutrition is associated with a longer length of hospital stay and increased mortality in COPD patients undergoing NIV.
Food and oral nutritional supplements should be used initially but where intake is sub-optimal for more than 2 days, artificial nutrition support should be considered with nasogastric (NG feeding) being the most readily available option. NG feeding for those requiring NIV/CPAP can be associated with some problems such as air leakage and distension of the stomach. If NG feeding is deemed appropriate, following the measures below can facilitate NG feeding while minimizing risks in this group…
