Is intradialytic oral nutritional supplementation safe and effective on clinical outcomes? A systematic review with conventional meta-analysis and network meta-analysis

Abstract

Aim: determine the effect of intradialytic oral nutrition (ION) on clinical and safety outcomes.

Design: Systematic Review with conventional Meta-analysis, and a Network Meta-analysis (NMA) as sensitivity analysis. We searched on MEDLINE, LILACS, CENTRAL, and EMBASE in June 2020, and the last update was until August 2022. We selected observational and randomized controlled trials with ION for at least four weeks. Primary outcomes were all-cause mortality and quality of life (QoL); adverse events, physical performance, and appetite were secondary outcomes.

Results: Seven clinical trials and three observational studies were selected. Even when we did not obtain significant differences in physical performance and gastrointestinal symptoms, we identified a clinical improvement in the QoL's physical role, bodily pain, and physical performance domains. After pooling the data on mortality, a protection rate trend was observed in the ION group without statistical significance. The home-prepared ION was the best nutritional supplementation when assessing the appetite outcome through NMA.

Conclusions: ION seems to have a protective trend in mortality risk; the current evidence is insufficient to establish a relationship with adverse events or other clinical outcomes. The lack of homogeneity in the trials makes it difficult to generalize these results.

Prospero registration: CRD42020186311.

Keywords: Appetite; Gastrointestinal symptoms; Intradialytic hypotension; Intradialytic oral nutrition; Mortality.