Assessment of the Safety and efficacy of an amino acid blend on muscle and gut functionality in Intensive Care Unit (ICU) patients.

Since this was a proof of concept, exploratory trial, we assessed different primary outcomes without hierarchy.

This monocentric trial was a parallel, randomized, double-blind, controlled study. Patients hospitalized in the ICU for sepsis or ARDS were enrolled.

The treatment group (n=15) was administered the study product (amino acid blend) and the negative control group (=15) was administrated maltodextrin only. The mode of administration was nasogastric probe.

The treatment period was 21 days. Subject were followed during stay in High care and intermediate care units up to 2 months or after hospital discharge with a follow up until 12 months.

Recruitment stopped when 30 patients (15 in each group) reached V4.

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Patients aged 18 and over
2. Sepsis or ARDS patients: expected to stay at least 21 days in ICU (or midcare), to the opinion of the investigator
3. Informed consent signed by the patient or/and by his/her representative

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Patient with muscle mass loss due to previous hospitalization
2. Intolerance to enteral feeding
3. Patients using parenteral feeding
4. Chronic renal failure to the opinion of the investigator
5. Chronic liver disease to the opinion of the investigator
6. Cachectic patients
7. Current treatment with paralyzing drugs
8. No pacemaker or metal implants interacting with MRI and magnetic stimulation
9. Pregnant woman (known)
10. Persons without social security
11. Under guardianship
12. Currently participating or having participated in another clinical trial within 4 weeks prior to trial start
13. Patient who is expected not to comply with the study procedures, to the opinion of the investigator