Glutamine Supplementation and Short-term Mortality in Covid-19

The Impact of Glutamine Supplementation Upon the Short-term Mortality of COVID-19 Diseased Patients Admitted in ICU: A Double Blind Randomized Clinical Trial

The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of parenteral L-Glutamine supplementation added to enteral nutrition on short-term ICU mortality (7 days) in Covid-19 diseased patients.

A written informed consent will be taken from the patients or their relatives. Patients with diagnosis of covid-19 with enteral nutrition will be enrolled. Patients will be randomly assigned to receive either standard enteral nutrition (Group EN) or intravenous glutamine supplementation to enteral nutrition (group GN) in a dose of glutamine of 0.4 g/kg/day during ICU stay.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Diagnosis of covid-19 diseased patients admitted to the ICU with enteral nutrition.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Renal failure (creatinine >180 mmol/l)
• Hepatic failure (bilirubin >40 mmol/l, alanine aminotransferase >100 U/l and aspartate aminotransferase >100 U/l)
• Severe neutropenia (<500 cells/mm3)
• Patients receiving cytotoxic, radiation and/or steroid therapy
• Hemodynamic instability