Ketogenic diet proposed to improve gas exchange and reduce ventilator duration in intubated COVID-19.

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is a severe viral illness with high mortality, especially in patients requiring mechanical ventilation for respiratory failure. Over half of intubated patients succumb, highlighting an urgent need for strategies to reduce ventilator support duration and mitigate the inflammatory response. Current interventions are largely supportive, with few approved therapies beyond dexamethasone. The ketogenic diet, known for promoting metabolic ketosis through hepatic fatty acid metabolism, has shown promise in reducing ventilator support duration and pCO2 in acute respiratory failure. Furthermore, metabolic ketosis is recognized for its systemic anti-inflammatory effects, potentially counteracting the cytokine storm characteristic of severe COVID-19 infection.

This study proposes to enroll 15 intubated patients diagnosed with COVID-19 infection. Participants will receive a 4:1 ketogenic formula administered enterally throughout their intubation period. The primary objective is to evaluate the impact of the ketogenic diet on gas exchange, systemic inflammation, and the duration of mechanical ventilation. This intervention aims to leverage the metabolic and anti-inflammatory properties of ketosis in a critical care setting, with outcomes measured against standard supportive care.

This abstract outlines a proposed clinical study, not completed research. Therefore, no experimental findings or statistical results are available. The study's hypothesis is that administering a ketogenic diet will improve gas exchange, reduce inflammation, and decrease the duration of mechanical ventilation in intubated COVID-19 patients. The researchers anticipate that the 4:1 ketogenic formula will induce metabolic ketosis, thereby modulating the cytokine storm and improving respiratory outcomes.